Siuslaw River Bridge

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Siuslaw River Bridge
Siuslaw River Bridge bascule type.png
Coordinates 43°57′50″N124°06′32″W / 43.964°N 124.109°W / 43.964; -124.109
CarriesUS 101.svg US 101
Crosses Siuslaw River
Locale Florence, Oregon
Maintained by ODOT
Characteristics
DesignDouble tied-arch with central bascule draw span
Total length1,568 feet (478 m)
Longest span140 feet (43 m)
History
OpenedMarch 31, 1936
Siuslaw River Bridge No. 01821
USA Oregon location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationOR Coast 9, US101, MP109.98, Florence, Oregon
Area2.2 acres (0.89 ha)
Built1935–36
Built byMercer-Fraser Company
Architect Conde B. McCullough
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Modern Movement
MPS McCullough, C. B., Major Oregon Coast Highway Bridges MPS
NRHP reference No. 05000816 [1] [2]
Added to NRHPAugust 5, 2005 [1]
Location
Siuslaw River Bridge

The Siuslaw River Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Siuslaw River on U.S. Route 101 in Florence, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough, built by the Mercer-Fraser Company of Eureka, California, and funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (later renamed the Public Works Administration). It opened in 1936. [3]

Contents

The bridge's total length is 1,568 feet (478 m). [3] When open, the 140-foot (43 m) double-leaf bascule provides 110 feet (34 m) of horizontal clearance for boat traffic. The bascule section is flanked by two 154-foot (47 m) reinforced concrete tied arches, identical to those used in the original Alsea Bay Bridge. [3] Four Art Deco-style obelisks house mechanical equipment as well as living quarters for the bridge operator. The total cost of the bridge was $527,000 (equivalent to $12.1 million in 2024 [4] ).

The bridge with its bascule draw span opening Siuslaw River Bridge (32526334940).jpg
The bridge with its bascule draw span opening

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 2005. [1]

A new computerized control mechanism for the drawbridge was installed in 2011. It does not require an operator to be present at both the north and south portions to raise the drawbridge like the manual controls do. However, the manual system is still in working order. [3] [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 22. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hadlow, Robert W. (2001). Elegant Arches, Soaring Spans: C. B. McCullough, Oregon's Master Bridge Builder. Oregon State University Press. pp. 93–94, 105, 138. ISBN   0-87071-534-8.
  4. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. Mariner, Cosmos (October 18, 2020). "Siuslaw River Bridge". hdmb.org. The Historical Marker Database: Andrew Ruppenstein. Retrieved August 30, 2025.