Van Buren Bridge

The original Van Buren Bridge was built in 1913 and was the oldest swing-span, and only pin-connected swing-span, truss roadway in Oregon. DOWL designed a five-span bridge with steel haunched plate girders founded on drilled shaft interior bents and driven piling end bents. Seismic detailing drove the foundation design due to the liquefaction and lateral spread loads. DOWL’s design ‘threaded the needle’ by addressing each of the following at this constrained site: landing in Corvallis Riverfront Park, providing clearance over multiple paths, meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, clearing the US Coast Guard (USCG) navigational window, and improving the alignment. The design reduced costs by minimizing the number of bents within the river.