The Lewis and Clark Bridge is a
cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...
that spans the
Columbia River between
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 37,818 at the time of the 2 ...
, and
Rainier, Oregon
Rainier is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. The city's population was 1,895 at the 2010 census. Rainier is on the south bank of the Columbia River across from Kelso and Longview, Washington.
History
Rainier was founded in 1851 ...
. At the time of its completion, it had the longest cantilever span in the United States.

The bridge was opened on March 29, 1930, as a privately owned bridge named the Longview Bridge. The $5.8 million cost (equivalent to $ million in dollars) was recovered by tolls, $1.00 for cars and $0.10 for pedestrians (equivalent to $ for cars and $ for pedestrians in dollars). At the time it was the longest and highest
cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...
in the United States. The state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
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 Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...
. The deck was replaced in 2003–04 at a cost of $29.2 million.
The bridge is
[ long with of vertical clearance. The main span is long and the top of the bridge is above the river. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, the engineer of the ]Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco P ...
.
In 1982, the bridge was entered on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
, as the Longview Bridge. A feasibility study commissioned by the Washington State Legislature in 1990 recommended the construction of a second bridge to handle future traffic volume.
See also
*Lewis and Clark River Bridge
The Lewis and Clark River Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Lewis and Clark River on U.S. Route 101 Business (a section originally part of U.S. Route 101) in Clatsop County, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough and opened in ...
*
*List of bridges in the United States by height
This is a list of the highest bridges in the United States by height over land or water. ''Height'' in this list refers to the distance from the bridge deck to the lowest point on the land, or the water surface, directly below. A bridge's deck he ...
*
References
External links
Bridge chronology – The Columbia County Historian
Bridge story on HistoryLink.org
*
*
Second Longview–Rainier Bridge Feasibility Study
(1990) via WSDOT Library Digital Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis And Clark Bridge (Columbia River)
Bridges over the Columbia River
Longview, Washington
Bridges completed in 1930
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Columbia County, Oregon
Transportation buildings and structures in Columbia County, Oregon
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
Transportation buildings and structures in Cowlitz County, Washington
Bridges by Joseph Strauss (engineer)
1930 establishments in Oregon
1930 establishments in Washington (state)
Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon
Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)
Former toll bridges in Oregon
Former toll bridges in Washington (state)
Cantilever bridges in the United States
Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States