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Lowell Covered Bridge Rehabilitation and Interpretive Center
Lane County, Oregon
Lowell Covered Bridge crosses Dexter Lake and serves as an iconic gateway to the community of Lowell and the Willamette National Forest, a popular outdoor recreation area.
The bridge was built in 1945 and was closed to traffic in 1981. This rehabilitation and site improvement project transformed the under-utilized site into a covered bridge interpretive center for the State of Oregon and preserved this symbol of the area's rich covered bridge heritage, ensuring the structure's place in the National Register of Historic Places.
The bridge rehabilitation included a new roof, new siding and timber elements, interpretive display panels, an original old growth floor beam, and a scaled model of the covered bridge.
The site plan included features that promote recreational opportunities and the history of Oregon's covered bridges. The parking lot was greatly expanded to accommodate RVs, an ADA-compliant ramp leads to a promenade with viewing and fishing shelters, and bike racks, lighting, and interpretive displays complete this multi-use destination.
OBEC has a long history of preserving Oregon's historic bridges, and this received the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon 2007 Engineering Excellence Honor Award; "Best of 2006" Award from Northwest Construction Magazine; and 2008 Award of Excellence in Highway Design from the Federal Highway Administration in the category of Traveler Services.
ADDITIONAL INFO
STATUS
Completed 2006
CLIENT
Lane County
SERVICES PROVIDED
Project Management
Historic Bridge Rehabilitation Design
Interpretive Center Design
Parking Lot Design
Site Master Planning
Survey
Construction Engineering
Environmental Permitting