The Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful regions on earth, and the collection of bridges in the area complement that beauty wonderfully. Each of the states in the Northwest have their own unique set of bridges. From the elegant arches of Oregon to the floating wonders of Puget Sound the Pacific Northwest offers the bridge enthusiast a wonderful opportunity to see some amazing engineering as well as the natural splendor of the region.
The engineering masterpieces of Conde B. McCullough are distributed throughout the State of Oregon. McCullough's crossings of Yaquina Bay and Coos Bay are the crown jewels of Oregon's Pacific Coast Highway. The coast highway also offers many examples of other McCullough Bridges as well as displaying some of the newest technologies in bridge design at Alsea Bay and Cook's Chasm.
Washington State offers the bridge explorer many unique structures. The state just finished the third crossing of the Tacoma Narrows. The new structure profiles the newest methods of long span suspension bridge design and construction while also paying tribute to the older Tacoma Narrows spans. At Saleh, Washington one of the longest concrete arches dominate the Saleh Creek Canyon. The largest concrete arch in North America when constructed the bridge at Saleh still offers bridge enthusiasts breathtaking appeal.
Northern California's bridge collection is very unique in its own right. Shasta County has a wide range of bridges from many generations. The classic arch bridges of Historic U.S. 99 give visitors a glimpse into the past while the Turtle Bay Sundial Bridge and the Lake Redding bridge show us the present and future of bridge technology.
The Pacific Northwest has one of the most unique collections of bridges in North America. The diversity of terrain and climate provided the engineers with unique challenges in a relatively small geographical region. This naturally wonderful place has been accented well with beautiful bridges of various styles. I hope you enjoy the tour of the Pacific Northwest Bridges.
Saleh Creek Bridge - Yakima, Washington
