Yaquina Bay Bridge

The Yaquina Bay Bridge is a bridge located in Newport, Oregon, crossing over Yaquina Bay. It carries US Highway 101. It was designed by noted engineer Conde McCullough, and was completed in 1936. It combines a variety of different engineering methods, with the main span being a steel through arch, with a variety of smaller spans being concrete underdeck arches. The north end of the bridge is in the center of Newport, while the south end is in the less populated southern part of Newport, close to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Oregon State University's marine base.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge is, in my opinion, the most beautiful bridge in Oregon, and probably also the most indispensable. To say it is beautiful is subjective, of course, but like many of Conde McCullough's bridges, it stands out and blends in at the same time. Both in the central architecture of the arches, and in decorative details like obelisks and pedestrian bays, it shows artistry, yet it also isn't ostentatious. As for it being the most indispensable, while there are many bridges in Oregon that carry more traffic, most of those exist in places where alternatives exist. Without the Yaquina Bay Bridge, all the traffic on Highway 101 would have to take a 25 mile detour through Toledo over logging roads. It was the completion of the Yaquina Bay Bridge that completed Highway 101, with the last ferry along the route closing when it was opened.