Goodpasture Covered Bridge

Goodpasture Covered Bridge - Vida, Oregon

One of the most photographed covered bridges in Oregon is the Goodpasture Covered Bridge, which spans across the McKenzie River near Vida, Oregon. Built in 1938, the covered bridge was built during a time when covered bridges were a popular form of bridge construction in Oregon, and in fact, the Goodpasture Covered Bridge is one of several covered bridges that opened in Lane County, Oregon that same year. It is a handsome covered bridge and you may have come across pictures of alternating green and red lights in the gothic-styled louvered windows of the covered bridge, as the bridge is decorated and lit up every December by a local garden club.

Located on Goodpasture Road right off of OR 126, the Goodpasture Covered Bridge is built in a Howe truss design for covered bridges and is 165 feet in length, making this the second longest covered bridge in Oregon, only after the Westfir Covered Bridge. The bridge was built in 1938 for a sum of $13,154 and was named for Benjamin Franklin Goodpasture, a pioneer farmer who settled with his family in nearby Vida. The bridge was washed off its abutments during a December 1942 flood and was restored to the same site. After years of heavy use by logging trucks and local traffic, a need for significant repairs was needed. The idea of replacing the covered bridge was floated before it was decided to restore the covered bridge, and repairs were made by Lane County in 1987 at the cost of $750,000 to improve the bridge's strength.

In 2005, the Goodpasture Covered Bridge became the first covered bridge featured in a series of commemorative coins released to raise funds for maintenance purposes. In 2012, an additional $2 million overhaul was made to the bridge that included a new roof and beam reinforcements. Structural improvements in the 2012 renovations made it strong enough for travel by both logging trucks and local traffic that uses the bridge daily. The covered bridge features false end beams and semi-elliptical portals. Modern-day enhancements made during the last round of renovations include a customizable LED lighting system. In September 2020, wildfires swept through Oregon and the Goodpasture Bridge was close to being consumed by the Holiday Farm Fire, which caused an incredible amount of damage. The McKenzie Fire and Rescue and Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office worked to protect it from the fires by spraying protective foam on the bridge with the hopes of saving it. It worked as the covered bridge was spared with only minor damage from the fire.

I visited the Goodpasture Covered Bridge in November 2023. You can see in the distance how close the wildfire came to the Goodpasture Covered Bridge. But trees closer to the covered bridge were saved and it helps make the covered bridge a great fall destination.

Approaching the covered bridge on OR 126 eastbound. In the distance, you can see the damage done by the Holiday Farm Fire in 2020 and how close it came to the Goodpasture Covered Bridge.