Rehabilitation and Preservation of Oregon’s Historic Concrete Coastal Bridges

Abstract

Oregon’s Coastal Bridge Program was designed to preserve the economic and cultural resources invested in Oregon’s coastal bridges. The Oregon Coast Highway contains a significant concentration of bridges listed on or eligible for the National Historic Register. Many of these reinforced concrete structures are suffering extensive corrosion damage resulting from years of exposure to the marine environment. Oregon has developed this program to evaluate, prioritize, and preserve these magnificent bridges. Preservation of these bridges has relied on the innovative application of cathodic protection technology. This new technology has been applied successfully through a project design and construction process that includes ongoing interaction among design engineers, researchers, construction project management personnel, and contractors.