By Karen Robes Meeks
After being closed for a year because of structural failure, the Coos Bay Swing Span Bridge has been reopened by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay.
In mid-April 2018, two center support columns failed, making the bridge inoperable. Finishing this major repair allows rail to relink from the North Spit to Coos Bay, a vital trade connection for the region.
With assistance from Jordan Cove LNG who provided the transload site (truck to rail), port officials were able to establish a transload facility on the North Spit, giving rail shippers south of the bridge the option to continue to use rail to transport their goods to market, the port reported.
The repairs include replacing the center structural columns and bracing and fixing the electrical mechanical system.
The port took over ownership of the Coos Bay Swing Span bridge in 2010.
