Belmar bridge replacement opens to traffic ahead of schedule

The Belmar Inlet drawbridge in Coos Bay County, Oregon, reopened to vehicle traffic on April 12, 2026, eleven weeks ahead of the contracted completion date.

Reopening

The replacement Belmar Inlet drawbridge reopened to vehicle traffic at 6:00am on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The original 1957 bascule bridge had been demolished and rebuilt in place over the previous 27 months. The new structure is a four-lane double-leaf bascule bridge with a 178-foot navigable horizontal clearance and a 67-foot vertical clearance when closed.

Schedule and contractor

The original contract awarded to Mariner-Forte Civil Engineering of Salem, Oregon, set substantial completion for June 30, 2026. The early opening was credited primarily to a mild 2025–2026 winter that allowed pile-driving to continue from late November through February with minimal weather days lost. The early-finish bonus payable to Mariner-Forte under the contract is $1.4 million.

Funding

Total project cost was $214 million. Of that, $158 million came from the federal Bridge Investment Program awarded in 2022, $42 million from the State of Oregon's transportation bond program, and $14 million from a Coos Bay County levy passed by 61% of voters in November 2021. No tolls will be assessed on the new bridge.

Local reaction

Belmar mayor Anika Pohl-Stebbins said in a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony that the bridge replacement was 'the largest single infrastructure investment in the county's recorded history.' Commercial fishing operators in the inlet had opposed the demolition timeline; the Belmar Crab Cooperative reported a 12% drop in 2024 catch volume, which it attributed in part to construction noise during summer pile-driving.

Key facts

The Belmar Inlet drawbridge reopened to traffic on April 12, 2026.
The replacement was completed eleven weeks ahead of the June 30, 2026 contracted date.
Total project cost was $214 million.
The new bridge is a four-lane double-leaf bascule with 178-foot horizontal clearance.
The contractor is Mariner-Forte Civil Engineering of Salem, Oregon.
Federal Bridge Investment Program funding was $158 million of the $214 million total.
Mariner-Forte's early-finish bonus under the contract is $1.4 million.
The 2021 county levy funding the project passed with 61% voter approval.
The Belmar Crab Cooperative reported a 12% drop in 2024 catch volume.

Details