The Longest, Most Impressive Bridge In Hawaii Can Be Found Right Here On Oahu
By Megan Shute|Published May 01, 2020
×
Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
From breathtaking beaches to towering mountains and everything in between, there’s no doubt that the Hawaiian Islands are home to some of the world’s most stunning natural wonders — but not everyone knows just how many man-made wonders are found throughout the Aloha State. And though there are several stunning pieces of architecture and feats of engineering in Hawaii, this lengthy bridge that connects the island of Oahu to one of its small, offshore islets might just be one of the most impressive.
Spanning more than 4,600 feet in length, the Admiral Clarey Bridge connects Oahu to a small islet found in the center of Pearl Harbor known as Ford Island.
The 441-acre Ford Island was sold to the United States Army in 1916 for use by an aviation division before being taken over by the Navy in 1939 as a station for battleship and submarine maintenance. Ford Island was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Providing access to Ford Island’s historic sites to the public via tour bus and providing access to Oahu for military families housed on the island, residents were once required to use ferry boats operated by Navy personnel to travel back and forth.
Construction began in the mid-1990s and the bridge cost approximately 78 million dollars and took two years to complete, coming in under budget and completed ahead of time.
The floating concrete drawbridge features not only a 930-foot pontoon section that can be retracted under the fixed bridge in order to accommodate the Navy’s largest battleships and aircraft carriers to pass through but a 650-foot wide channel and a 100-foot wide, 3-foot high opening for smaller craft under an elevated span.
Named after one of the Navy’s most decorated officers, Admiral Bernard A. Clarey, this remarkable bridge is one of only a few existing floating bridges, and it’s floating moveable span is the largest worldwide.
In 1999, the bridge’s design earned an award of merit for outstanding projects from the American Society of Civil Engineers as well as the United States Department of Transportation Honor Award for design excellence in 2000.
In addition to being a fascinating feat of engineering, the Ford Island Bridge is surrounded by some of the island's prettiest scenery and features some pretty stellar views.
