Astoria–Megler Bridge, Steel cantilever truss bridge across the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, United States
The Astoria-Megler Bridge is a continuous steel truss crossing of the Columbia River linking Oregon and Washington, measuring 6545 meters from end to end. Near the Oregon shore, a cantilever section rises above the water to let tall-masted vessels pass underneath.
Construction began in November 1962, when concrete piers were cast at Tongue Point and steel segments fabricated in Vancouver. The segments traveled downstream by barge and were assembled on site to complete the route across the wide river delta.
The bridge appears in Short Circuit (1986), Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy 2, The Goonies and Sometimes I Think About Dying, and stands in for the fictional Madison Bridge in the 1979 TV film The Night the Bridge Fell Down. Pedestrians are normally barred; one day a year, usually in October, the Great Columbia Crossing lets runners and walkers cross from the Washington side to Oregon.
Two lanes of US Route 101 carry drivers and cyclists across the river, while stiff wind gusts can reach the roadway. In rough weather it pays to slow down and watch for side drafts.
A 752-meter cantilever section on the Oregon side makes this the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. That span opens without a center support, letting cargo vessels with tall superstructures pass below.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,759 contributors worldwide.
