Respect for tradition - The new Crooked River Gorge Bridge

Challenges create unique opportunities, and such was the case for the new crossing of Route 97 at Terrebone, Oregon, in the western USA. The 100 meter deep Crooked River Gorge has posed a challenge for bridge designers from the time of the great railroad expansion through to the present day. The Oregon Department of Transportation teamed with citizens to develop criteria for a new crossing that was as distinctive as those before, ultimately choosing a segmental concrete arch design. This paper describes how the ambitions of the public for aesthetics and the practical demand of construction were integrated into the design of a classical arch through the use of modern cable-stay technology, allowing construction from the canyon rim without any access inside the canyon walls.