Union Street Railroad Bridge - 1912 - Salem, Oregon - Bridge Date Stones and Plaques on Waymarking.com

Marker Text #2:

This former railroad bridge now serves as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing over the Willamette River. It is a truss bridge with a vertical lift span designed to accommodate larger ship traffic beneath. A curved wooden trestle connects to the western edge of the bridge deck. The bridge was built in 1912 and was historically known as the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway, although it has also been called the P. E. & E. Bridge (Portland, Eugene, and Eastern). Today it is simply referred to as the Union Street Railroad Bridge as the eastern terminus aligns with Union Street. Into the 1970s, the bridge carried traffic for the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, but until recently, it was out of use. In 2004, Union Pacific donated the abandoned bridge to the City of Salem. In Spring 2009, after an extensive rehabilitation effort, the bridge opened to foot/bicycle traffic.

In addition to the original plaques, there are re-dedication plaques mounted to the bridge at each entrance, providing details about the construction and re-purposing of the bridge.

Click a photo to enlarge