Doran Memorial Bridge

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Doran Memorial Bridge
Doran Memorial Bridge
Coordinates37°31′49″N 122°21′38″W / 37.530253°N 122.360639°W / 37.530253; -122.360639
Carries I-280
CrossesSan Mateo Creek
Official nameOfficer Eugene A. Doran and Marine Lance Corporal Patrick M. Doran Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)San Mateo Creek Bridge
Named forEugene A. Doran and Patrick M. Doran
OwnerCaltrans
Characteristics
DesignSteel girder
Clearance below250 ft (76 m)
History
ArchitectMario J. Ciampi
DesignerCalifornia Division of Highways
Constructed byDan Caputo Corporation
Fabrication byKaiser Steel
OpenedMay 28, 1969; 54 years ago (1969-05-28)
Location
Map

The Doran Memorial Bridge is the twin pair of steel girder bridges that carry eight lanes of road traffic on Interstate 280 over San Mateo Creek near Hillsborough, California in San Mateo County.

History[edit]

The Doran Memorial Bridge was originally known as the San Mateo Creek Bridge according to Caltrans plans.[1][2][3] It was named the Eugene A. Doran Memorial Bridge in 1969, after the Hillsborough police officer who was killed near the site on August 5, 1959;[4][5] Doran's widow attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 28, 1969.[6] In 2004, the bridge was rededicated as the Officer Eugene A. Doran and Marine Lance Corporal Patrick M. Doran Memorial Bridge to include his son, Patrick, who died in Vietnam on February 18, 1967 while serving in the United States Marine Corps.[7]

Prior to the opening ceremony on May 28, 1969, a "Pedestrian Day" was held on May 25, with more than 30,000 crossing the new span on foot.[8]

It won the Medium Span, High Clearance category in the 1970 AISC steel bridges contest.[9] Markers commemorating Eugene A. Doran and the AISC award are at the Crystal Springs Safety Roadside Rest Area off northbound I-280, approximately 12 mile (0.80 km) north of the bridge itself.[10] That stop also features a 22 ft-high (6.7 m) statue of Junipero Serra.[11] The Doran Memorial Bridge was featured on the cover of the 1972 Highway Statistics report published by the Federal Highway Administration with other recently completed major structures, including the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and the Cowlitz River Bridge.[12]

Design and construction[edit]

1964 bridge model with Crystal Springs Dam

The bridge was designed by Caltrans architect Warren S. Ludlow, engineers Robert Cassano and Delmar Janson, with assistance from Mario J. Ciampi.[1][13][14] Ciampi was commissioned to design freeway structures for I-280 by the Division of Highways in 1963.[15]

Four arched concrete piers support the twin girder bridges.[1] They use modified Gothic arches;[16] the finish was left in the natural concrete color, and the surfaces were contoured to help them blend into their surroundings.[17] The twin bridges contain five parallel welded steel girders and are connected by a 22-foot (6.7 m) wide concrete slab.[2] The structural steel is concealed by a slanted panel on either side.[1] Bids were opened on April 7, 1965, for the stretch of freeway including the San Mateo Creek Bridge.[3] To minimize impact on the gorge below, materials were lowered from a "high line" built between towers on the adjoining cliffs. It is next to the 1888 Crystal Springs Dam, which was (at the time of its completion) the largest concrete structure in the world.[17] Construction of the first pier began in January 1966.[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Sinclair, J.P. (May–June 1964). "Bay Area Report—1964: San Mateo County". California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 43, no. 5–6. Division of Highways, Department of Public Works, State of California. pp. 24, 26, 39. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Hayler, R.A. (September–October 1964). "Interstate 280". California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 43, no. 9–10. Division of Highways, Department of Public Works, State of California. p. 38. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Hart, Alan S. (May–June 1965). "Bay Area Freeways: San Mateo County". California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 44, no. 5–6. Division of Highways, Department of Public Works, State of California. p. 36. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  4. ^ California State Assembly. "Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 34—Relative to the naming of a state highway bridge in the memory of Officer Eugene A. Doran". 1969 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California (Resolution). State of California. Ch. 173 p. 3765.
  5. ^ Moffitt, Mike (May 8, 2020). "The tragic, brutal story behind the naming of the Doran Memorial Bridge". SF Gate. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Kind Words For Officer Heroes". The Times. San Mateo, California. May 29, 1969. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  7. ^ California State Assembly. "Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 65—Relative to the Officer Eugene A. Doran and Marine Lance Corporal Patrick M. Doran Memorial Bridge". Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California (Resolution). State of California. Ch. 138 p. 7588.
  8. ^ "30,000 Take Walk Across New Bridge". San Mateo Times. May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  9. ^ "Prize Bridges 1970" (PDF). American Institute of Steel Construction. 1970. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  10. ^ Whittle, Syd (April 2009). "Eugene A. Doran Memorial Bridge". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  11. ^ Curry, John (October 30, 1975). "Padre Serra Will Return". San Mateo Times. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  12. ^ 1972 Highway statistics (Report). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  13. ^ Doss, Margot Patterson (May 25, 1969). "Bay Area at Your Feet: Walk Over a Canyon". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Weinstein, Dave (October 22, 2005). "Signature Style: Mario Ciampi / Works writ bold / Architect believes creative design can change how people live". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  15. ^ "Caltrans District 4: Timeline of Events". California Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  16. ^ "Call Bids on S.M. Creek Bridge". San Mateo Times. February 16, 1965. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Peninsula's Bridge Open May 28". San Francisco Examiner. May 11, 1969. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  18. ^ "New Look at S.M. Highways". San Mateo Times. January 8, 1966. Retrieved May 12, 2021.

External links[edit]

Doran family[edit]