Lowell Covered Bridge - 1945 - Lowell, OR - Bridge Date Stones and Plaques on Waymarking.com

Visitors to the Lowell Covered Bridge will be inundated with more knowledge about the history of the Lowell Bridge then they ever dreamed possible. Lowell Covered Bridge is actually a replacement bridge to one that was originally built at this location in 1907. This replacement bridge was constructed in 1945. This bridge was used until 1981 when it was forced to be bypassed due to ever-larger vehicles driving through here. The bridge was moved adjacent to the current Pioneer Rd and sits here, inviting visitors to learn about its history. There are a plethora of displays and signs and markers that highlight various points of history of the Lowell Bridge through the decades inside the bridge and is even lit at night. There is also a kiosk near the bridge and parking area where visitors can read more about other covered bridges in this area and invite people to drive various touring loops, visiting bridges and other scenic attractions.

There are many lit displays inside the bridge and the following text is taken off one of them:

The original Lowell Bridge lasted over 30 years, until increased wear and damage from truck traffic prompted replacement. The old bridge was replaced in 1945 with a new bridge built by Lane County bridge foreman Walt Sorensen. It was covered two years later. The bridge's size (a 165-foot span and 24-foot width) was designed to accommodate the heavy logging-truck traffic of that era. Wood used to construct the bridge likely came from the nearby Willamette National Forest. Longtime area residents remember the days when trucks waited in line, three or four at a time, to haul their lads of Douglas-fir through the bridge toward Springfield.

In 1953, the Army Corps of Engineers was finishing construction of Dexter Dam, just downstream of the Lowell Bridge. When complete, the dam would create a reservoir that would threaten the bridge. Guided by engineers, Walt Sorensen supervised the raising of the bridge seven feet. Their calculations proved accurate, and the reservoir has never risen closer than two feet from the bottom of the bridge.

Date built or dedicated as indicated on the date stone or plaque.: 1945 Date stone, plaque location.: Two signs hang on either end of bridge over archways Road, body of water, land feature, etc. that the bridge spans.: Dexter Reservoir Website (if available): [Web Link] Parking (safe parking location): N 43° 54.613 W 122° 46.790

Visit Instructions:
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