Umpqua River Bridge Explained

Fetchwikidata:coordinates
Umpqua River Bridge
Crosses:Umpqua River
Locale:Reedsport, Oregon
Designer:Conde B. McCullough
Design:Swing bridge
Material:Steel
Begin:1934
Open:1936
Embed:yes
Umpqua River Bridge No. 01822
Location:Reedsport, Oregon
Built:1934–1936
Added:August 5, 2005
Refnum:05000815
Mpsub:McCullough, C. B., Major Oregon Coast Highway Bridges, 1927–1936

The Umpqua River Bridge is a swing-span bridge that spans the Umpqua River in Reedsport, Oregon. It consists of a central swing span flanked by two reinforced concrete arches on each end. The swing span was necessary to accommodate tall sailing vessels which were common on the Umpqua River. The final cost of the bridge was $510,500.

Located at milepoint 211.11 on U.S. Route 101, this bridge is the only remaining swing-span bridge on the Oregon state highway system.[1] This bridge was one of the many bridge projects of Conde McCullough, Oregon's Master Bridge Designer and Builder.[1] It opened to traffic on July 3, 1936.[2]

The north end of the bridge is within Bolon Island Tideways State Scenic Corridor; the south is within Reedsport city limits. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 2005.[3]

No dedication ceremony occurred at the time due to the unavailability of President Franklin Roosevelt. The ceremony was postponed indefinitely. At 3pm on September 8, 2011, the bridge was opened and closed, followed by a ribbon cutting, and cars from the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s crossed the bridge. It was finally officially dedicated to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Spanning Oregon's Coast: Oregon has more than 200 historic bridges . Oregon Department of Transportation . May 24, 2013.
  2. News: Span at Newport Open For Traffic [Yaquina Bay Bridge] . September 6, 1936 . . Portland . 1–2.
  3. Web site: Oregon National Register List . . 10 . June 6, 2011 . June 7, 2013.