BridgeHunter.com: Eagle Creek Bridge

The Eagle Creek Bridge was constructed in 1936 as part of a realignment project on the Historic Columbia River Highway (US 30). The project was built to straighten a notoriously crooked and narrow stretch of the highway around Tooth Rock.

The previous alignment was carved out of the shear basalt cliffs of Tooth Rock and passed over two ravines via the Tooth Rock and Eagle Creek Viaducts. This narrow section of roadway was a mere 18-feet wide and thus needed to be widened to accommodate the larger vehicles being manufactured.

As part of the realignment the Tooth Rock Tunnel was blasted through Tooth Rock and created a need for a new bridge over Eagle Creek. The Oregon State Highway Department engineers under State Bride Engineer Conde B. McCullough designed an elegant three span steel tied arch bridge to accommodate the need. The design was similar to other steel tied arch bridges built during this era, such as the Winston Bridge over the South Umpqua River near Winston and the McLoughlin Bridge over the Clackamas River near Oregon City.

By 1969 the interstate era was upon the Columbia River Gorge and the 1936 Eagle Creek Bridge was replaced with a wider three span steel plate girder bridge. The new bridge uses the original 1936 piers, but the arches were removed to make way for the plate girders.

In 1970 the main 180-foot center span of the Eagle Creek Bridge was re-erected near Barton, Oregon in Clackamas County as part of the Barton Bridge on Bakers Ferry Road. The Barton Bridge was not constructed with the architectural treatments of the Eagle Creek Bridge, but still has some of the charm of an old tied arch bridge.

Overview: Lost steel tied arch bridge over Eagle Creek on US 30

Status: Replaced by a steel plate girder bridge in 1969

History: Built 1936, Replaced 1969

Builder: Conde B. McCullough of Redfield, South Dakota (Bridge Engineer)

Design

The Eagle Creek Bridge was a three span steel tied arch. The three spans measured 142-feet, 180-feet, and 142-feet. The bridge featured many of the design details utilized by State Bridge Engineer Conde B. McCullough, such as arched steel portal frames and architectural railing. The design is very similar to the Winston Bridge in Douglas County.

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 180.0 ft.

Total length: 466.0 ft.

Deck width: 27.0 ft.

Inventory number

BH 45564 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

http://bridgehunter.com/or/multnomah/eagle-creek/

Barton Bridge

Built: 1970

"In 1970 the main 180-foot center span of the Eagle Creek Bridge was re-erected near Barton, Oregon in Clackamas County as part of the Barton Bridge on Bakers Ferry Road. The Barton Bridge was not constructed with the architectural treatments of the Eagle Creek Bridge, but still has some of the charm of an old tied arch bridge."

BridgeHunter.com: Barton Bridge

Overview: Steel tied arch bridge over Clackamas River on Bakers Ferry Road

Location: Clackamas County, Oregon

Status: Open to traffic

History: Built 1970

Builder: Conde B. McCullough of Redfield, South Dakota (Tied Arch Bridge Engineer)

Design: Recycled 1936 steel tied arch, with prestressed slab approach spans

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 180.0 ft.

Total length: 880.0 ft.

Deck width: 26.0 ft.

Vertical clearance above deck: 15.0 ft.

Also called

Bakers Ferry Road Bridge

Average daily traffic (as of 2017)

1,100

Inventory numbers

OR 06560 (Oregon Dept. of Transportation structure number)

BH 29854 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Inspection report (as of October 2018)

Overall condition: Fair

Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)

Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)

Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)

Sufficiency rating: 67.2 (out of 100)

View more at BridgeReports.com

Posted March 19, 2016, by Kenn Lantz (kennlantz [at] yahoo [dot] com)

This span was previously built over Eagle Creek along the Columbia River in 1926, moved here in 1970. The move is mentioned in the Eagle Creek file but I do not see it here. I remember the previous bridge over the Clackamas with the rattling plank deck.

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