Skip to main content

Deadwood Covered Bridge - Oregon

 


Spanning 105 feet across Deadwood Creek in western Lane County, Oregon is the Deadwood Covered Bridge. The bridge was originally called the Alpha Bridge after what was then the town of Alpha, about 2 miles north of the bridge. But since Alpha is now a ghost town, the name of Deadwood Bridge stuck, taking its current name from the creek the bridge crosses over. The covered bridge was designed with a Howe through truss when it was first built in 1932 by Lane County bridge builder Miller Sorenson. The bridge's flooring was installed on a slant so traffic that was rounding the corner onto the bridge would travel more safely. There is also a window on the north side of the covered bridge. The cost to build the covered bridge totaled $4,814, and thus, the Deadwood Covered Bridge became part of the Oregon's secondary road system.

Over time, the Deadwood Covered Bridge became dilapidated. During the 1970s, a concrete bridge was built nearby to take traffic away from the covered bridge. When the bridge's structural condition worsened in the early 1980s, Lane County officials decided to rehabilitate the covered bridge. In 1986, workers replaced damaged siding, flooring and portal boards from the covered bridge, along with working on the bracing, roof and bridge approaches. Following restoration of the bridge to near mint condition, a dedication ceremony in October 1986 marked the reopening of the covered bridge to vehicular traffic. The Deadwood Covered Bridge looks solid today, even if most of the traffic is sees is from covered bridge enthusiasts and local residents of various species, given the bridge's remote location.


Entering the east portal of the covered bridge.

The west portal of the covered bridge. You can see the open air windows on the north side of the bridge.

One of the local residents, firmly suggesting that I turn around and go over the covered bridge again.

How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Deadwood Covered Bridge 37-20-38
Oregon Coast Visitors Association - Deadwood Covered Bridge
Eugene Cascades & Coast - Deadwood Covered Bridge
Pacific Northwest Photoblog - Deadwood Covered Bridge

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Petroleum Club Road (former California State Route 33 and US Route 399 past the Lakeview Gusher)

Petroleum Club Road is an approximately 5.3-mile rural highway located in the Sunset Oil Field of western Kern County.  This corridor was constructed as a frontage road of the Sunset Railroad and would be the site of the Lakeview Gusher in 1910.  Petroleum Club Road was the original alignment of California State Route 33 and US Route 399 between 1934-1938.  In 1938 the West Side Highway was constructed west of Lakeview Gusher and still serves as the current alignment of California State Route 33.   Part 1; the history of Petroleum Club Road Petroleum Club Road is the original highway which linked the oil communities of Maricopa and Taft.  Both cities were developed around the early boom of the Sunset Oil Field.  The early Sunset Oil Field can be seen centered along Cienega Canyon Road southwest of Buena Vista Lake in Township 11 North, Range 23 West on the 1898 Kern County Surveyors map .  In 1901 Post Office Service would be established at the Su...

Did Caltrans just kill the G26 cutout US Route shields?

The US Route System was formally created by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926.  Through the history of the system the only state to which has elected to maintain cutout US Route shields has been California.  The G26 series cutout US Route shields have become a favorite in the road enthusiast hobby and are generally considered to be much more visually pleasing than the standard Federal Highway Administration variant.  However, the G26 shield series appears to have been killed off on January 18, 2026, when Caltrans updated their Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  This blog will examine the history of the US Route shield specifications in California and what is happening with the 2026 changes.  The blog cover photo is facing towards the terminus of California State Route 136 and at a G26-2 specification US Route 395 shield.  In the background Mount Whitney can be seen in the Sierra Nevada range.   ...

Kuakini Highway (former Hawaii Route 11 in Kailua-Kona)

Kuakini Highway east of Palani Road in Kailua-Kona is the original alignment of Hawaii Route 11.  The highway upon being commissioned in 1955 began at the Palani Road (then Hawaii Route 19) and followed Kuakini Highway southeast towards Holualoa.  Hawaii Route 11 was shifted to an extension of Queen Kaahumanu Highway during the late 1970s which bypassed downtown Kailua-Kona.   This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series.  A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking  here .  Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 11 and Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona Hawaii Route 11 is part of Mamalahoa Highway (the Hawaii Belt Road) and is the longest Hawaiian State Route at 121.97 miles.  The highway begins at the mutual junction of Hawaii Route 19 and Hawaii Route 190 in Kailua-Kona.  From Kailua-Kona the routing of Hawaii Route 11 crosses the volcanic landscapes of southern side of ...