Lewis and Clark Bridge

Across the Columbia River


The Lewis and Clark Bridge, which is a cantilever type, spans the Columbia River between Longview, Washington and Rainier, Oregon. It is the only bridge spanning the river between Portland and Astoria, Oregon, and is located 66 miles (106 km) from the Pacific Ocean. This photo was taken from the west along U.S. Highway 30.

Lewis and Clark Bridge

The bridge was open on March 29, 1930 as a privately owned bridge named the Longview Bridge. The $5.8 million cost was recovered by tolls, $1.00 for cars and $.10 for pedestrians. At the time it was the longest and highest cantilever bridge in the United States. The state of Washington purchased the bridge in 1947 and the tolls were removed in 1965 after the bridge was paid for. In 1980 the bridge was rededicated as the Lewis and Clark Bridge in honor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The deck was replaced in 2003–04 at a cost of $29.2 million.

View of Bridge Construction from Inside
Martha shot this through the front windshield.
Remember in an earlier post, the moral to the story was,
"Keep the Front Windshield Clean"

The bridge is 8,288 ft. (2.5 km) long with 210 ft. (64 m) of vertical clearance. The main span is 1200 ft. (366 m) long and the top of the bridge is 340 ft. (104 m) above the river. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.

For a sense of scale and perspective, notice the large red cargo ship on the Columbia River and the herd of Black Angus cows in the pasture.

River Traffic at the Port of Longview and Bridge

Map showing the location of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, Longview, and Columbia River.

Topo Map

Have you ever crossed this bridge?
Have you ever crossed this river? Where?
Leave a comment.


For more Bridges, head over to Runes TX-Blog

Photos by Martha
Map by Troy
.