"While the Spanish Hollow Bridge does lie on the old Columbia River Highway, its construction did not coincide with the construction of the initial route. Instead, it was part of an effort in the mid-1930s to eliminate grade crossings with the railway along state highways. Due to its location on the scenic highway, the bridge is embellished with decorative features, including curved sidewalk brackets, arched exterior girders, a Gothic-type handrail and Art-Deco entry pylons."

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Kirk J. Poole, September 21, 2021

I've found an earlier alignment at Biggs. I just need to find any bridge abutments to verify it. Has anyone noticed it? It's well hidden and out of the way. It lays between the RR tracks and freeway, on both sides of Spanish Hollow.

Jim Westwood, September 21, 2021

Kirk it looks hopeful, but any abutments may have been buried by what looks like dike construction on Spanish Hollow. . . . or, more likely, buried under the fill for the freeway ramp.

Kirk J. Poole, September 26, 2021

We are just now finding the earlier routing to the north. 1,600 feet to the west, you can see more of that alignment. This gels with the older road being nearer to the freeway... With this find, we have both alignments all pieced together.

ODOT, Oregon's Historic Bridge Field Guide (2013): Spanish Hollow Creek, Hwy 2 Frontage Rd

Bridge Number: 02133

Year Built: 1936

Location: In Biggs on the old Columbia River Highway

Description: Seven 70-ft reinforced concrete continuous deck girder spans with arched exterior girders and simple haunched interior girders

Designer: State Highway Department under C.B. McCullough and G.S. Paxson

Builder: Joplin & Eldon

Character Defining Features: Structure type, Location, Decorative features, Railing

BridgeHunter.com: Spanish Hollow Bridge, Sherman County, Oregon

Builder:

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

Design:

The Spanish Hollow Bridge in an excellent example of a Conde McCullough era reinforced concrete stringer bridge. The bridge features many of the ornamentations seen during the McCullough era such as art deco pylons and aesthetically sensitive railing.

Dimensions:

Length of largest span: 69.9 ft.

Total length: 403.9 ft.

Deck width: 25.9 ft.

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