An unusual arch-hinged Oregon bridge with 400 tons of stainless steel reinforcing bar in its deck and T-beams is all but complete. The 773-ft-long link over Haynes Inlet Slough is expected to last 120 maintenance-free years, or more than twice as long as average, says Frank Nelson, Oregon Dept. of Transportation bridge preservation manager. Until recently it was the largest bridge in the U.S. to use stainless steel rebar.
Nelson says the agency had used stainless steel rebar on two small bridges previously but now plans future use on coastal spans susceptible to corrosion from the salt air.