Devils Lake Fork Bridge

In Michigan, we combine the need for a safe and functional modern railing with the importance of retaining the original material and beauty of a historic railing by replacing railing posts, adding tube guardrail, and mounting the original historic bridge railing panels between the posts, behind the modern tube railing. See below example. This method does not reduce roadway width and the end result still looks quite nice. I do not see why this solution would not have worked here in Oregon. Looking at the design of the railing posts on this Oregon bridge, it appears it would have been extremely easy to simply fit the old railing panels between the posts.

I can understand railing needing to be up to modern day standards...but(sigh)that doesn't mean I have to like it!

Those wonderful columns look kinda lost and out of place now!

Mike,

Glad to see your photos of it. When I found this bridge and saw how impressive it was I was surprised myself to find it unlisted. Based on your photos, it appears that they have not demolished the bridge, but instead have replaced the original railings. I learned about the bridge from a multi-bridge Memorandum of Agreement I dug up and so I thought it was a goner. Glad to see they apparently are keeping it.

There is one suspension bridge that I know of that is still around in Honduras.

http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0008020

Thanks as always for the info Mike!

Would be interesting to look into CBM's work in Central American and see if any interesting structures are to be found.

Conde McCullough was only involved with this bridge from an administrative standpoint. Along with his state bridge engineer duties McCullough also served as Assistant State Highway Engineer starting in 1932. He served in both rolls until he was choose to lead bridge design work for the Bureau of Public Road on the Pan-American Highway in Central America from late 1936 through 1937. Upon his return to Oregon he was forced to give up the roll of State Bridge Engineer in order to fulfill his duties as Assistant Highway Engineer.

It is probably safe to say the McCullough still had a limited amount influence over the bridge section, though his biographer states he was completely divorced from the bridge section upon his return. In the book Elegant Arches, Soaring Spans by Robert Hadlow it is stated the McCullough resented being “kicked upstairs” after returning from Central America, when he was not allowed to resume his bridge design work.

However, one of his duties as assistant highway engineer was to review construction plans. Therefore, the signatures of Conde McCullough as well as the successor bridge engineer Glenn S. Paxson are both on the Devils Lake Fork Bridge drawings.

Was McCullough involved in the design of this one Mike?

The Art-deco style columns on the ends look like a possible signature of his work.

Nathan,

Good catch on adding this one. When I seen that you added it I thought you were crazy and made a duplicate structre. However, upon further review I realized that I am crazy and have 45 photos of a bridge I never added. I will add my photos from last May soon.

MG