John O'Connell Bridge
Encyclopedia
The John O'Connell Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge
over the Sitka Channel
located in Sitka, Alaska. The bridge connects the town of Sitka on Baranof Island
to the airport and Coast Guard Station on Japonski Island
. Until the bridge was completed in 1972 the commute was only achievable through a ferry
service. The bridge is named after John W. O'Connell, a former mayor of Sitka. The two-lane bridge is 1,255 feet in total length, with a main span of 450 feet. The bridge was also the United States' first vehicular cable-stayed girder spanned bridge. The four 100-foot-high steel pylons carry two three-cable sets, each carrying a section of the bridge deck.
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
over the Sitka Channel
Sitka Channel
The Sitka Channel is a strait that separates Japonski Island from Baranof Island in Alaska.The Sitka Channel, or more commonly referred to as simply The Channel by locals, is a notable feature of Sitka, Alaska that separates vital portions of infrastructure located on the peripheral Japonski Island...
located in Sitka, Alaska. The bridge connects the town of Sitka on Baranof Island
Baranof Island
Baranof Island, also sometimes called Baranov Island, Shee or Sitka Island, is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. The name Baranof was given in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov...
to the airport and Coast Guard Station on Japonski Island
Japonski Island
Japonski Island, or Yak'w Kashaneixí, is a small island in the city of Sitka in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska, United States...
. Until the bridge was completed in 1972 the commute was only achievable through a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service. The bridge is named after John W. O'Connell, a former mayor of Sitka. The two-lane bridge is 1,255 feet in total length, with a main span of 450 feet. The bridge was also the United States' first vehicular cable-stayed girder spanned bridge. The four 100-foot-high steel pylons carry two three-cable sets, each carrying a section of the bridge deck.