Skip to main content

Hayden Covered Bridge - Alsea, Oregon

 


One of Oregon's oldest covered bridges, the Hayden Covered Bridge spans over the Alsea River just west of the town of Alsea in Benton County, Oregon. Located just off Oregon Highway 34 and the Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway, the Hayden Covered Bridge was built in 1918, reconstructed in 1946 and rehabilitated in 2003. The covered bridge was built in a Howe through truss design at a length of 150 feet, with a main span of 90 feet in length. The bridge can host a single lane of traffic at a time with a maximum vehicle height of 11 feet 6 inches and a maximum vehicle width of 16 feet. In 1979, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

One of several covered bridges that were built in the Alsea River Valley, the Hayden Covered Bridge is the last covered bridge that remains. Oregon's last covered bridge located on a primary state highway, the Mill Creek Covered Bridge on Oregon Highway 34, stood just two miles away. But even the Hayden Covered Bridge has seen changes over time. In the 1946 reconstruction, the bridge's portals were once rounded in its design, but have been enlarged to a more modern design to facilitate larger loads. Vertical board and batten siding flare out at the covered bridge's base, similar to covered bridges found in nearby Lincoln County. A daylighting window strip placed below the roofline on both sides of the bridge illuminates the covered bridge's interior.

The future of this covered bridge may be different. After being in service for over 100 years, the Hayden Covered Bridge is slated to have a future as a pedestrian bridge. In 2017, an analysis determined that the bridge could not be strengthened to the legal load limit, so constructing a new bridge has been proposed at an estimated cost of $2,712,214. Construction is anticipated to begin on the new bridge in April 2024, and it is expected that the Hayden Covered Bridge will be saved for pedestrian use.

The Hayden Covered Bridge crosses the Alsea River, named for the local Alseya Native American tribe. 

The Hayden Covered Bridge looks stately and stands out in the springtime.

Inside the covered bridge.

Bridge plaque.


An old barn rests and collapses next to the Hayden Covered Bridge.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Oregon.com - Alsea River (Hayden) Covered Bridge
Travel Oregon - Hayden Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter.com - Hayden Covered Bridge 37-02-05 #2
Construction Journal - Hayden Covered Bridge - Benton County

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades

In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard-of rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades affixed to guide signs. Part 1; what is the G28-2 California State Highway Spade?  The  Caltrans Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Sign Chart from 2014  ("Caltrans MUTCD") dictates the types of signs and highway shields permitted for traffic control use in California.  California is known for it's more ornate cut-out shields which are used for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These shields are intended to be applied as standalone reassurance signs but aren't explicitly limited to said function and occasionally appear in error on guide signs.  The common shields which are typically found through California are: US Route:  G26-2 Interstate:  G27-2 State Highway:  G28-2 The Caltrans MUTCD provides alternative shields for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These alternative shields are intended for guide sign usage.  Th

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County.  The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s.  US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935.  US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68.  As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934.  US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County .   The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County.  D

Patterson Pass Road

Recently on a day trip to the San Francisco Bay Area I traversed the Diablo Range eastbound via Patterson Pass Road. Patterson Pass Road is an approximately 13 mile roadway which starts at Mines Road in Livermore of Alameda County.  Patterson Pass Road eastward ascends over the approximately 1,600 foot namesake Patterson Pass into San Joaquin County where it ends at Interstate 580 near Tracy.  Patterson Pass Road has an infamous reputation as being a dangerous roadway due to the lengthy one-lane section and heavy rush-hour commute traffic. Patterson Pass is one of the earliest documented European paths of travel over the Diablo Range as it was explored during the 1775-1776 Spanish Expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza.  The 1775-1776 Spanish expedition charted out much of San Francisco Bay which led to the founding of the Presidio of San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Asis.  Patterson Pass Road between Cross Road east to Midway Road is part of the Juan Bautista de Anza