Skip to main content

Admiral Clarey Bridge, Naval Station Pearl Harbor

By

The Admiral Clarey Bridge is a pontoon structure which connects Hawaii Route 99 (the Kamehameha Highway) on the Island of O'ahu over the waters of Naval Station Pearl Harbor to Navy owned Ford Island.  The Admiral Clarey Bridge is not directly accessible to the public aside from access granted by way of tours to Pearl Harbor National Memorial.  The Admiral Clarey Bridge is commonly referred to as the Ford Island Bridge.

This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page.  All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below:

https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html


The background and development of the Admiral Clarey Bridge

Ford Island came under control of United States Congress in Reciprocity Treaty of 1875.  The Reciprocity Treaty had a seven year term between the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii.  Upon the expiration of the Reciprocity Treaty the United States did not renew their lease on Ford Island but would begin to lease the waters of Pearl Harbor beginning during January of 1887.  Ford Island was purchased by the John Papa ʻĪʻī  estate in 1891 during the run up to the Kingdom of Hawaii being overthrown during 1893.  Hawaii was formally annexed as a territory of the United States during August of 1898.  

The Oahu Sugar Company began to harvest sugar on Ford Island beginning in 1899 via property lease.  Ultimately the John Papa ʻĪʻī  estate would agree to sell portions of Ford Island to the United States government for the construction of an Army Airfield during 1917.  Additional to the land purchases the John Papa ʻĪʻī  estate leased segments of Ford Island for the construction of Battery Boyd and Battery Henry Adair.  During 1917 the 6th Aero Squadron was created and designated to the Ford Island.  Most of the Airfield facilities on Ford Island were completed by 1918 and it was designated as Luke Field by 1919.  

Naval Station Pearl Harbor was commissioned during December of 1919 but did not displace the Army from Ford Island.  Over the coming decades the Navy began to slowly displace the around Ford Island which was largely spurred by the construction of Hickiam Army Field beginning in 1936.  Hickiam Army Airfield was completed during 1939 which ultimately led to Ford Island being transferred to the Navy as Naval Station Ford Island.  During September of 1939 an emergency proclamation spurred the development of new facilities on Ford Island in anticipation of war.  Despite the calls for improved infrastructure Ford Island remained only accessible by way of boat or ferry over the waters of Pearl Harbor.

On December 7th, 1941 seven battleships were moored on Battleship Row of Ford Island; USS California, USS Maryland, USS Oklahoma, USS Tennessee, USS West Virginia, USS Arizona and USS Nevada.  All seven battleships along with Ford Island were heavily damaged during the surprise Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.  The Oklahoma and most notably the Arizona were total losses.  In the case of the sinking of the Arizona 1,177 officers and enlisted personnel were killed in the Japanese attacks. 

Ford Island can be seen on at the height of military presence on O'ahu on the 1946 Army Day Map.  

Following World War II the U.S. Pacific Fleet established the Fleet Intelligence Center, Pacific on Ford Island during 1955.  Ford Island Naval Air Station was decommissioned during 1966 and became part of Naval Station Pearl Harbor.  During early 1970 Naval Auxiliary Field Ford Island opened which was opened to civilian flight training operations.  The United States Third Fleet would move their headquarters to Ford Island during 1973 and remained there until 1991.  

Construction of the Admiral Clarey Bridge began January 10th, 1996 and was part of a $500,000,000 dollar investment into the upgrading of Ford Island.  The Admiral Clarey Bridge was completed during early 1998 and dedicated on April 15th.  The Admiral Clarey Bridge replaced the ferryboats Moko Holo Hehe and Waa Hele Honoa (pictured below). 

The Admiral Clarey Bridge features a total length of 4,672 feet and mostly notably a moveable 930 foot pontoon span.  The pontoon span of the Admiral Clarey Bridge allows access for the largest Naval battleships and aircraft carriers.  The namesake Admiral Bernard Clarey served in the United States Navy circa 1934-1973.  Admiral Clarey is most well known for being the Vice Chief of Naval Operations during the 1960s and Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet during the early 1970s.  

On July 1st, 1999 civilian air traffic Naval Auxiliary Field Ford Island was ceased after the closure of Naval Air Station Barbers Point.  Ford Island is now part of the Pacific Warfighting Center which broke ground in August of 2007.  Most civilian traffic on the Admiral Clarey Bridge uses utilizes it via tour bus to access the Pearl Harbor National Memorial sites of; the USS Missouri, USS Utah and Pacific Aviation Museum.  

Below the Admiral Clarey Bridge can be seen from Pearl Harbor National Memorial at the submarine USS Bowfin.




The Admiral Clarey Bridge from the ferry boat to the USS Arizona Memorial.








The Admiral Clarey Bridge from the USS Arizona Memorial.  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bridgeport Covered Bridge

By
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California's longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world.  Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.   The history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge The history of Bridgeport Covered Bridge was featured in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works .  Bridgeport Covered Bridge was constructed during 1862 over the South Fork Yuba River.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge served as part of the Virginia Turnpike Company maintained Henness Pass Roa
Post a Comment
Read more

Former California State Route 215

By
  California State Route 215 was a short-lived state highway which existed in the Los Angeles Metropolitain area after the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 215 was aligned from US Route 60 at 5th Street in Pomona north to US Route 66 near Claremont via Garey Avenue.  California State Route 215 came to be after California State Route 71 was bisected in Pomona due to relinquishment of a portion of Garey Avenue due to the opening of a portion of the Corona Freeway (now Chino Valley Freeway) during 1958.  California State Route 215 was deleted by the Legislature during 1965. The history of California State Route 215 The initial segment of what was to become California State Route 215 was added to the State Highway System as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined what would become  Legislative Route Number 19  (LRN 19) as running from Claremont to Riverside.  The segment of LRN 19 between Claremont and Pomona would in
Post a Comment
Read more

US Route 70 over San Augustin Pass

By
San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range.   Part 1; the history of highway designations over San Augustin Pass San Augustin Pass traditionally has been the easiest from the Rio Grande in Las Cruces east to the Tularosa Basin.  The terrain conditions at San Augustin Pass allowed for an easy crossing in the gap between the Organ Mountains
Post a Comment
Read more