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Chambers Covered Bridge Salvage
Cottage Grove, Oregon
The City of Cottage Grove selected OBEC to provide design and construction engineering for the dismantling and subsequent rebuilding of the Chambers Covered Bridge.
The 92-foot-long timber structure, originally built in 1925, has several differentiating factors that made it critical to preserve. It is the only remaining covered railroad bridge in Oregon and one of only eight in the nation. The structure also holds the record for the tallest covered bridge and is the only one in the state with a four-leaf truss.
While rehabilitation plans developed, a windstorm caused the structure to tilt further to the side causing concern that the bridge could completely fail. The City declared an emergency to hasten restoration efforts to dismantle in early spring rather than waiting for summer.
OBEC partnered with Hamilton Construction Company to expedite engineering services for the temporary support and dismantling of the bridge that was too fragile to move in one piece.
Once moved and restored using as much of the historic and original fabric as possible, the bridge will serve as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing across the Coast Fork of the Willamette River.
As the reconstruction effort continues, OBEC is also assisting with interpretive exhibits detailing the history of this unique piece of Oregon history.
Watch the bridge move into place:
ADDITIONAL INFO
STATUS
Ongoing
CLIENT
Federal Highway Administration
City of Cottage Grove
Oregon Department of Transportation
SERVICES PROVIDED
Project Management
Survey
Environmental Permitting
Bridge Design
Roadway Design
Construction
RELATED LINKS
"Rebuilding a Bridge"Cottage Grove Sentinel