Skip to main content

Lowell Covered Bridge - Oregon

 


As you head on Oregon Highway 58 (OR 58) between Eugene and the Cascades, you will see a covered bridge as you drive along the Dexter Reservoir. This is the Lowell Covered Bridge, the widest covered bridge in Oregon. At 210 feet long and 24 feet wide, this Howe through truss designed covered bridge has an interesting history, and while it is no longer open to motor vehicles, it has been given a second life as an interpretive center about the covered bridges in and around Lane County, Oregon.

In 1874, pioneer Amos Hyland settled in Lane County on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. He established the town of Lowell, opened the local post office in 1880 and operated a ferry across the river until 1907. That year, the Lowell Covered Bridge was constructed by Nels Roney and a crew of eight men. The bridge was built to bypass an expensive ferry to cross the Willamette River and the route was a main passageway for settlers and supplies to reach the Willamette Valley at the turn of the 20th Century. This bridge was part of a larger project that Roney was working on to rebuild many of the covered spans that were destroyed by snow and flooding. During the 1940s, a truck accident severely damaged the bridge knocking its truss out of alignment, so a new bridge had to be constructed.

The new covered bridge was completed by 1945 for a cost of $25,473. The bridge was built to a maximum width of 24 feet to allow easy passage for motor vehicles, and the roof was added two years later. Then in 1953, with the impending construction of Dexter Dam, the bridge had to be raised an additional 6 feet to accommodate the forecasted water level increase. The dam was completed in 1955 and now when Dexter Reservoir is at capacity, the bridge clears the water by approximately 2 feet, and from what I have read. In 1981, a new concrete bypass bridge was built and use of the covered bridge was discontinued.

The Lowell Covered Bridge lives on as a self-guided interpretive center that showcases for visitors the history of the local area along with history of the Lowell Covered Bridge and other covered bridges in Oregon. One of the displays even has a small model with a section of the outside of the bridge cut-away so you can see how the structure was designed. There is a picnic area, plus places to go birdwatching or fishing. It sits right on the edge of the Willamette River, where on one side you can see the dam, and on the other there are park benches. It is an enjoyable stop along the way for wherever your travels along OR 58 take you.

Side profile of the Dexter Covered Bridge.

Bridge portal. You can see the interpretive displays inside of the bridge.

Walking to the covered bridge.

Dexter Reservoir.

Interpretive displays.

Interpretive displays.



How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Lowell Covered Bridge 37-20-18
That Oregon Life - The Widest Covered Bridge In Oregon Is A Great Spot To Visit
Oregon.com - Lowell Covered Bridge
Eugene Cascades and Coast - Lowell Covered Bridge Interpretive Center
Travel Oregon - Lowell Bridge
City of Lowell, Oregon - Lowell Covered Bridge Interpretive Center

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road.  The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California.  The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940.  The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.   Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map.   Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County.  The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...