Project overview
On Sunday, July 16, 2023, bridge crews fully closed the SR 433 - Lewis and Clark Bridge, also known as the Rainier Bridge, spanning across the Columbia River between Longview, WA, and Rainier, OR, for four days. The closure aimed to replace the steel expansion joints that allowed the structure to expand and contract with daily temperature variations. The deteriorating expansion joints were identified and had to be replaced to meet bridge safety requirements and extend the life of the bridge.
On April 12, 2023, bridge inspectors discovered a fractured floor beam, resulting in an emergency 12-hour closure. The extended full closure for expansion joint replacement also included replacing the fractured floor beams.
What to expect
In June 2023, travelers encountered nighttime alternating single lane closures as crews prepared for the eight-day full bridge closure. The purpose was to replace the expansion joints and a fractured floor beam. During the full closure, pedestrians, bicyclists, and emergency responders still had access across the bridge except for a brief period while the floor beam replacement took place.
On Sunday, July 16, 2023, contractor crews fully closed the bridge to vehicle traffic. Remarkably, they managed to reopen it on Thursday, July 21, 2023 - four days ahead of the scheduled eight-day closure.
The SR 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge, also known as the Rainer Bridge, connecting Washington and Oregon over The Columbia River, closed on Sunday, July 16, 2023, for bridge joint and floor beam replacement work. Originally scheduled for eight days, the critical repairs were completed in just four days, and the bridge reopened on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
In 2021, WSDOT bridge crews discovered the need for replacement of the bridge joints on either side of the bridge. To address this, they opted for a full bridge closure, citing three reasons: increased safety, minimized traffic impacts, and ensured the repair's quality. On April 12, 2023, a fractured floor beam was discovered, leading to an emergency 12-hour closure. The original plan was to close the bridge for up to six days for expansion joint replacement, but the closure was extended to include installing a new floor beam.
WSDOT considered the safety of the traveling public and construction crews, traffic impacts, and the repair's quality and longevity. The full closure allowed the concrete near the new expansion joints to cure effectively, resulting in a high-quality repair that will last for ,many years to come. Additionally, this closure reduced the likelihood of unscheduled, emergency closures and repairs in the future.
About the Lewis and Clark Bridge
Built in 1930, the Lewis and Clark Bridge is a cantilever bridge which measures 8,288 feet in length or 1.56 miles long, and was designed and constructed by Joseph Struss, the engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. At the time of construction, it was the longest cantilever bridge in the United States, spanning across The Columbia River, between Longview, WA and Rainier, OR. In 1982 the bridge was entered into the on the National Register of Historic Places, as the Longview Bridge.
Currently, the bridge serves over 20,000 vehicles per day, most of which are commercial freight vehicles, making it a vital connection route for interstate and local economies and communities.
