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Deschutes River Bridge

Sherman County, Oregon

Photo 

BH Photo #425094

Map 

Description 

The bridge over the mouth of the Deschutes River is an early example of a long bridge constructed by the Oregon State Highway Department (OSHD) under the guidance of bridge engineer Conde B. McCullough.

The bridge was constructed along the Columbia River Highway shortly after McCullough assumed the position of state bridge engineer and is a rare example of an early steel plate girder bridge constructed by the OSHD. At this time the OSHD was developing a reputation for concrete construction, especially concrete arch bridges.

Even with an elegant balustrade rail, the bridge features little in the typical detailing know on the more iconic Conde McCullough structures. This is likely due to the fact that the structure was already in design when McCullough assumed the bridge engineer position.

The bridge was replaced in 1955 as a result of The Dalles Dam construction which raised the water level in the area approximately 30-feet.

Facts 

Overview
Lost Deck plate girder bridge over Deschutes River on US 30
Location
Sherman County, Oregon
Status
Replaced by a new bridge due to construction of The Dalles Dam.
History
Built 1919, Replaced 1955
Builder
- Conde B. McCullough of Redfield, South Dakota (Bridge Engineer)
Design
Deck plate girder
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 95.0 ft.
Total length: 509.0 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+45.63398, -120.91338   (decimal degrees)
45°38'02" N, 120°54'48" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
10/662632/5055499 (zone/easting/northing)
Elevation
164 ft. above sea level
Inventory number
BH 81332 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Built 1919 (526)
Built during 1910s (9,683)
Concrete balustrade (841)
Conde B. McCullough (115)
Deck girder (5,783)
Girder (10,307)
Lost (25,054)
Lost 1955 (91)
Lost during 1950s (700)
 Oregon (1,181)
Owned by state (16,070)
Plate girder (7,991)
Replaced by new bridge (16,839)
Sherman County, Oregon (19)
Span length 75-100 feet (6,454)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,880)
US 30 (129)

Update Log 

  • December 17, 2020: Updated by Mike Goff: Added bridge measurements from plans.
  • April 23, 2018: Added by Leslie R Trick

Sources 

  • Leslie R Trick - Leslie [dot] Trick [at] gmail [dot] com
  • Mike Goff - michael [dot] goff [at] hotmail [dot] com
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Comments 

Deschutes River Bridge
Posted December 5, 2020, by Kirk Poole (kjpportland [at] gmail [dot] com)

This was completed in 1919.