Abernethy Bridge

The bridge structure contains 15 spans and 60 girders. The total length is , and the vertical clearance at low river levels is . The longest span is and is sandwiched by two spans. The bridge carries six lanes of traffic (three in each direction—two through lanes, and one merging lane). Interchanges are located at each end of the bridge: On the western end (in West Linn) is an interchange with Oregon Route 43; on the eastern end (in Oregon City) is an interchange with OR 99E. The bridge is somewhat unusual in that its western approach is located on a bluff overlooking the river, whereas the eastern end is located in a lowland just south of the confluence of the Willamette and Clackamas rivers; as a result, westbound traffic on I-205 travels uphill the entire length of the bridge, and continues uphill for another half-mile before the freeway summits and heads back downhill, into the lower Tualatin River basin. ==History==

Construction of a new east–west bridge between West Linn and Oregon City was approved by the Oregon State Highway Commission in January 1964. The proposed bridge was later incorporated into the plans for I-205 in 1965 after it was relocated away from a routing through Lake Oswego. Construction began in early 1968 and was completed on May 28, 1970, at a cost of $17.1 million; it was originally scheduled to open in December 1969. The city later changed its seal to include a depiction of the bridge. In 2009, the Oregon Department of Transportation spent $7 million to repave the roadway and replace the expansion joints on the bridge. Part of the proposed plan includes removing the Highway 43 to I-205 northbound onramp and widening the Abernethy Bridge. The cost of the project increased to $600 million in 2024 and required additional funding to cover a $300 million gap created by higher construction costs and the cancellation of tolling on I-205. ==See also==