Unity Covered Bridge 37-20-17

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Unity Covered Bridge

from the southeast

Photo taken by Michael Goff on July 16, 2009

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BH Photo #143055

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Description

In 1890, the first bridge across Fall Creek was constructed by Nels Roney. That 129-foot Howe structure cost Lane County $2,925.

The original bridge was finally removed in 1953, having served as a foot bridge since 1936. A new covered span was built three-fourths of a mile upstream in 1936 at the community of Unity. The county used a standardized 90-foot Howe truss design but added a full length window in the east side to give motorists a glimpse of oncoming traffic, adding an aesthetic effect to the structure. The county spent only $4,400 in constructing the span.

In July 1986, Lane County temporarily closed the bridge for repairs. In addition to replacing the flooring, other work included repair of the piers and guardrails, exterior painting, and removing evidence of vandalism.

The bridge crosses Fall Creek just a few miles from the Pengra, Lowell and Parvin covered bridges. Bicycle tours often include this span in their rural routes.

(Reference: Roofs Over Rivers, by Bill and Nick Cockrell)

Facts

Overview: Covered Howe through truss bridge over Fall Creek on Jasper-Lowell Road
Location: Lane County, Oregon
Status: Open to traffic
History: Built 1936
Builder: - Nels Roney (Contractor)
Design: Covered Howe Through truss
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 89.9 ft.
Total length: 162.1 ft.
Deck width: 19.4 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.2 ft.
Recognition: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979
Also called: Jasper-Lowell Road Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude: +43.94472, -122.77528 (decimal degrees)
43°56'41" N, 122°46'31" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 10/518033/4865757 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Lowell
Average daily traffic (as of 2010): 211
Inventory numbers: NRHP 79002093 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 30038 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of October 2018): Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 41.5 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Update Log

April 15, 2018: New photos from Richard Doody
March 10, 2014: Updated by Dave King: Added NRHP info & imported photos
April 22, 2010: New Street View added by Michael Goff
July 20, 2009: New photos from Michael Goff

Sources

Mike Goff - michael [dot] goff [at] hotmail [dot] com
Historic Highway Bridges of Oregon - Dwight A. Smith, James B. Norman & Pieter T. Dykman, Oregon Historical Society Press, 1989
Unity Covered Bridge - Oregon Covered Bridge Guide
Wikipedia - Unity Covered Bridge
Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
Richard Doody