The Columbia River and the bridge in Astoria
Astoria's story starts with the river. The city sits where the Columbia meets the Pacific, and Wikipedia says it was founded in 1811 as the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge
The Astoria-Megler Bridge carries U.S. Route 101 across the lower Columbia River from Astoria to Point Ellice near Megler, Washington. According to Wikipedia it is 21,474 feet (about 4.1 miles) long, opened to traffic on July 29, 1966, and is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. After construction, the Oregon Department of Transportation became the lead agency for its maintenance and operation. For current road conditions and incidents, use ODOT TripCheck.
The river and the bar
The Columbia River Maritime Museum's site covers the dangers of the Columbia River Bar and the work of the Coast Guard and the Columbia River Bar Pilots. See the Column and Maritime Museum page.