| Wimer Bridge | |
| Coordinates: | 42.5381°N -123.1498°W |
| Built: | 1927 (1892) (2008) |
| Builder: | Hartman Brothers of Jacksonville (1927 version) |
| Architecture: | Queenpost truss (1927 version) |
| Sigdate1 Label: | Listed |
| Sigdate1: | November 29, 1979 |
| Delisted: | after bridge collapse in 2003 |
| Refnum: | 79002075[1] |
The Wimer Bridge is a covered bridge over Evans Creek in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Oregon.[2] The version that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1927.[1] This structure, 85feet long, carried East Evans Creek County Road over the creek in the rural community of Wimer.[3] The creek is a tributary of the Rogue River, which it joins at the small city of Rogue River.[4]
An earlier covered span, built in 1892 by J. W. Osbourne, crossed the creek at this location, according to local residents and an engineering database.[2] The 1927 bridge replaced the older span.[2]
After the 1927 bridge deteriorated, local residents refurbished it in 1962. However, by the mid-1970s the bridge was closed after further decline. Repairs in 1985 led to reopening with an eight-ton limit, later reduced to three tons. Before further repairs were undertaken, the structure collapsed in 2003.[2] It fell 40feet into the water, injuring three people who were crossing the bridge.[5]
In 2008, with the help of federal funds and local labor, the bridge was replaced with a look-alike using trusses reinforced with metal braces, laminated beams that look like timber, concrete approaches, and industrial roofing made to resemble wooden shakes. The one-way bridge, still 17feet wide, as was the original, has a load limit of 10 tons.[5] This version of the bridge opened to traffic in February 2008.[6]
Trip Advisor: The Wimer Covered Bridge