Latourell Creek Bridge
Route 2 / US 30 / Oregon 100
Built: 1914
"The highway bridge was sited by Lancaster and built in 1914 by the Pacific Bridge Company. It is a magnificent 316 foot, three-span bridge made with reinforced concrete and a braced-spandrel deck arch. On the northwest side of the bridge is a plaque honoring Guy Talbot."
Ken Manske, A Traveler's Guide to the Historic Columbia River Highway. Gresham, OR: M&A Tour Books. 2003. (Latourell Falls 4)
Oregon State Archives: A 1940 Journey Across Oregon
LATOURELLE FALLS, 164.9 m. [West of Hwy. 730 Junction]. take a sheer drop of 224 feet into a pool at the base of an overhanging cliff. LATOURELLE BRIDGE was so placed as to give the best view of the falling waters.
http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/exhibits/across/eaglecr.html
Robert W. Hadlow, Columbia River Highway Historic District, National Historic Landmark Nomination
CS6. Structure: Latourell Creek Bridge HAER No. OR-24
Location: HMP 26.1
Date: 1914
Designer: K. P. Billner, Oregon State Highway Dept.
Builder: Pacific Bridge Company, Portland
Owner: Oregon Department of Transportation
This bridge consists of three 80-foot reinforced-concrete braced-spandrel deck arches. Total length, including approaches, is 316 feet. It has a 17-foot-wide road deck and 3-foot sidewalks. Cap-and-spindle railings here represent a member of the family of railing types found on CRH structures (see Figures #12 & #13).
Hadlow, Landmark Nomination, 18
"Latourell Creek three span arch bridge, designed by K. P. Billner, under the supervision of Samuel C. Lancaster. The Falls Chalet is located in the background. Photo courtesy of George Perry."
1914 Photo of Latourell Creek BridgeVista House. Crown Point State Scenic Corridor. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. October 14, 2010
Samuel C. Lancaster, The Columbia River Highway In Multnomah County
The bridge across the stream below Latourelle Falls is both economical and attractive. The type is original, being entirely different from anything yet attempted in this country. Each structure was designed to meet the exact condition found to exist at each point.
Passing on from Latourelle Falls, and the pretty three-arch concrete bridge, at an elevation of 155 feet...
Lancaster, 1914 62
"Lancaster praised the design of the bridge across Falls Creek. 'The bridge is both economical and attractive. The type is original, being entirely different from anything yet attempted in this country. This and all the other reinforced concrete bridges and viaducts on the Columbia Highway in Multnomah County were designed by K. P. Billner, who is entitled to full praise for his splendid accomplishments.' The 312-foot 'lace-like' concrete, trussed arch structure has three 80-foot arches and stands 100 feet above the creek.
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 113
