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Nearly 500,000 pounds of rebar and hundreds of cubic yards of concrete make up the support pillars for the new Van Buren Bridge.
Oct. 23, 2024
For more information, contact Mindy McCartt, 503-507-6045
CORVALLIS - We’re making major strides on the Van Buren Bridge project and have some exciting updates to share. The new bridge is on schedule and the work happening behind the scenes is impressive. From cutting-edge construction to amazing facts, this project is set to make a huge impact for years to come.
Let’s start with the support pillars: These aren’t your average bridge supports. The new Van Buren Bridge will have eight massive concrete pillars—four shallow and four deep—that are built to handle today’s traffic and stand strong through earthquakes. The shallow pillars go about 70 feet deep into the ground. But the deep ones are in the water, reaching from 220 to 245 feet down to hit solid rock. That’s almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, these pillars use nearly 500,000 pounds of rebar and hundreds of cubic yards of concrete. Talk about a solid foundation.
Now, here’s where things get really cool: the old Van Buren Bridge was built way back in 1930, with no steel in its concrete supports. That’s right—none! The new bridge is packed with steel, concrete, and modern engineering. It’s built to handle way more weight—meaning fire trucks and school buses will finally be able to cross. Plus, it’s designed to move during an earthquake without getting damaged. Its special expansion joints let the bridge shift over a foot lengthwise and up to 10 inches side-to-side.
We’ve already hit some huge milestones. The temporary bridges? Done! The deep foundation shafts, which were one of the trickiest parts of the project, were completed without significant delays!
What’s next? We’ll be installing the steel girders that will form the backbone of the bridge. Once those are in place, you’ll start seeing even more visible progress as the bridge starts to take shape.
This project is more than just a bridge—it’s a huge upgrade for Corvallis that will keep our community safe and connected for decades to come. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue making progress on this modern engineering marvel.
The Van Buren Bridge project remains a collaborative effort aimed at modernizing our infrastructure. To see images of our progress to date visit our Van Buren Bridge OR 34 Flickr album.
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Pay attention in the work zone, slow down and move over – imagine this is where you work! Always drive safely, watch for construction signs and workers.
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