Beyond the arches

From ODOT- With all the attention that’s been focused on building the graceful arches for the new I-5 Willamette River Bridge, you may not realize that they are but part of a series of four independent bridges linked together form a single span from the north bank of the Willamette River to the south end of the project past Franklin Boulevard.

While the arch spans obviously catch your eye as they prominently cross the river, they are not the longest part of the new bridge.

South of the river, the new I-5 bridge crosses over Franklin Boulevard, railroad tracks, the I-5 off-ramp to Franklin Boulevard, pedestrian paths and local creeks and drainages. The bridge over the river is 806 feet long, but the portion from Franklin Boulevard south is 900 feet long.

We’re building two more independent bridges south of the river. They will consist of box girder beams constructed on site followed by forming and pouring the bridge deck on top.

Another much smaller box girder bridge will connect I-5 on the river’s north bank to the arch bridges crossing the Willamette.

Each independent bridge must be tensioned separately. Once tensioned, the deck of the new southbound bridge will become one continuous smooth surface, from the north bank of the Willamette River to south of Franklin Boulevard.

The new bridge on the north bank of the Willamette River.

Bridge construction south of the river.