McCord Creek Bridge

Route 2 / US 30 / I-84

Built: 1914 - 1915

"This photo is a 1914 shot of the construction of the Historic Hwy bridge over McCord Creek. Notice in the background the stacks of cord wood and the barely-visible dock of Myron Kelly behind the stacked wood."

Curios Gorge & the Curious Gorge Guidebook (http://curiousgorgeblog.wordpress.com/10-2/)http://curiousgorgeblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/img_4276.jpg

Kelly Creek and Pierce Creek are old names for McCord Creek.

"Kelly Creek is to be crossed on a reinforced concrete girder bridge 65 feet in height, with nine panels 40 feet long, a total of 360 feet."

Lancaster, 1914, 66

"You can see the cut slope on the east end, where the petrified tree was located -- plus, a very nice view of Wauneka Point."

McCord Creek Bridge during construction: May 15, 1915http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3750&p=125983&e=125983ODOT / Tom Kloster - http://wyeastblog.org

"This view from the east side of McCord looking across to Beacon Rock, with fishwheels on the far right, visible between the bridge uprights."

McCord Creek Bridge: July 12, 1915ODOT / Tom Kloster - http://wyeastblog.orghttp://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3750&p=125983&e=125983

McCord Creek Bridge - Elevation DrawingFrom the HAER collection of long span HCRH bridges :HAER HRCH OR-36 24 of 27Created By: V. V. Simonenko & Elaine G. Pierce,Accesed via Bridgehunter.com: http://bridgehunter.com/or/multnomah/mccord-creek

Bridgehunter.com: McCord Creek Bridge

Overview: Lost Concrete deck girder bridge over McCord Creek on Historic Columbia River Highway (US 30)

Status: Replaced by new bridge in 1997

History: Built in 1915 as part of the Columbia River Highway, Roadway widend in late 1940's, Replaced in 1997.

Builders

- Charles H. Purcell (Bridge Engineer)

- Karl P. Billner (Design Engineer)

- Robert Wakefield (Contractor)

Design

Concrete deck girder

Dimensions

Total length: 365.0 ft.

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

McCord Creek BridgeUniversity of Oregon Libraries, Columbia River Highway, ORU_WTXT_021Accesed via Bridgehunter.com: http://bridgehunter.com/or/multnomah/mccord-creek

Source TBD.

HAER Records

McCord Creek Bridge, Spanning McCord Creek at Milepost 38.62 on Old Columbia River Highway (Highway No. 30), Warrendale, Multnomah County, OR

...the McCord Creek Bridge, a reinforced-concrete deck-girder structure, underwent major modification, including deck widening, addition of new bents, placement of diagonal members in the original bents, and replacement of the railings.

The McCord Creek Bridge was then replaced in 1998 with a new bridge spanning McCord Creek.

Building/structure dates: 1915 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1950 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1998 Subsequent Work

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516

General perspective view of McCord Creek Bridge, view looking east on Interstate 84 (1997)HAER OR-135-2James Norman, photographer, January 1997 http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516.photos.220344p/resource

General perspective view of McCord Creek Bridge, view looking southeast (1997)HAER OR-135-3James Norman, photographer, January 1997http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516.photos.220345p/resource/

Detail view of railing (1997)HAER OR-135-5James Norman, photographer, January 1997http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516.photos.220347p/

Note the changes in the guard railing between the early photos and the HAER photos shot by James Norman in January 1997. The old railings were replaced with "modern" ones, matching other structures build along the highway at the same time, probably in 1950 or so, when the water level highway was being constructed.

General perspective view of McCord Creek Bridge, view looking southeast (1997)HAER OR-135-4James Norman, photographer, January 1997 http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516.photos.220346p/resource/

Topographic view of McCord Creek Bridge and the Columbia River Gorge (1997)HAER OR-135-1James Norman, photographer, January 1997http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/or0516.photos.226262p/resource/

Were Elowah Falls visible from the old bridge?

"And finally, a July 1915 view that shows the pipeline where the Upper McCord trail is now located - plus, answers the question of how well Elowah Falls could be viewed from the bridge..."

McCord Creek Bridge: July 12, 1915ODOT / Tom Kloster - http://wyeastblog.orghttp://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3750&p=125983&e=125983

"When the original Columbia River Gorge Highway was constructed, the road crossed McCord Creek at approximately the same place Interstate 84 does today, but the falls were completely visible at the time (they can't be seen from the highway now unless the trees are bare)."

Bryan Swan. NW Waterfall Survey.http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/falls.php?num=4042

The old highway bridge was located exactly where the westbound lanes are today, and the falls are visible in a quick and fleeting, partially obscured glimpse if one knows exactly where to look, in the winter, when the leaves are down... In the early days of the highway, I am guessing many would stop and look from the bridge.

However, the 1946 State Parks Report claims otherwise.

"Although a comparatively short distance from the highway, the fall is not entirely visible from the McCord Creek highway bridge, because of intervening trees of crowding cliffs."

OPRD 1946

Photo Currently Unavailable

McCord Creek Bridge (Report Cover)The Historic Columbia River Highway & State Trail: Progress Report 2012ODOT