A time-lapse video illustrates the first five years of construction of a 1,976-ft steel arch bridge over the Willamette River near Portland, Ore. The project replaces the 90-year-old Sellwood Bridge with a span that is wider and more seismically sound. In fact, the new bridge is designed to withstand both 500 and 1,000-year recurrence period earthquakes.
The new Sellwood Bridge’s steel arch design features three arches that support the deck of the three main river spans. The arches were fabricated at Thompson Metal Fab in Vancouver, Wash. (an AISC Member and Certified fabricator) and each arch was installed in three segments, supported by a complex system of steel piles. About 80,000 bolts hold the arches together, including 1,500 at each splice between the arch segments.
The new bridge recently opened to traffic and will finish construction in November. For more information, visit www.sellwoodbridge.org.