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

US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains

US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico passes through the Guadalupe Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise the highest peaks of Texas which are largely protected as part Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  The automotive highway through the Guadalupe Mountains was constructed in the late 1920s as part of Texas State Road 54.  US Route 62 was extended from Carlsbad through the Guadalupe Mountains to El Paso during 1932.  US Route 62 was joined in the Guadalupe Mountains by US Route 180 in 1943.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise a portion of the 130 mile "No Services" zone on US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso-Carlsbad. Part 1; the history of US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains The Guadalupe Mountains lie within the states of Texas and New Mexico.  The Guadalupe Mountains essentially is a southern extension of the larger Rocky Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains is the highest range in Texas with the peak elevati

Paper Highways; unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz

This edition of Paper Highways examines the unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz. The History of Unbuilt California State Route 100 The route that became CA 100 was added to the State Inventory in 1959 as part of the Freeway & Expressway System as Legislative Route 287 .  According to CAhighways.org the initial definition of LRN 287 had it begin at LRN 5 (CA 17) and was defined over the below alignment to LRN 56 (CA 1) through downtown Santa Cruz. -  Ocean Street -  2nd Street -  Chestnut Street For context the above alignment would required tearing down a large part of the densely populated Santa Cruz.  A modern Google imagine immediately reveals how crazy an alignment following Ocean Street, 2nd Street, and Chestnut Street would have been. LRN 287 first appears on the 1960 Division of Highways State Map . In 1961 the definition of LRN 287 was generalized to; from LRN 5 via the beach area in Santa Cruz to LRN 56 west of the San Lorenzo River. 

New Mexico State Road 7 (Carlsbad Caverns Highway)

New Mexico State Road 7 is approximately a seven-mile highway in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. New Mexico State Road 7 connects US Route 62/US Route 180 at Whites City to the visitor center of Carlsbad Caverns National Park via Walnut Canyon. The so-called Carlsbad Caverns Highway to the National Park visitor center complex was constructed following the designation of the namesake National Monument in 1923. The current iteration of New Mexico State Road 7 was designated by the New Mexico State Highway Commission during June 1929. A proposal once was once floated to connect New Mexico State Road 7 to a cavern drive which would have been blasted into Big Room. Part 1; the history of New Mexico State Road 7 What are now Carlsbad Caverns was explored in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County by local Jim White during 1898.  White explored the caverns via a homemade ladder and named several of the more notable rooms.  The name "Carlsbad Caverns" was derived from the