Chambers Railroad Bridge coming down

The historic Chambers Railroad Bridge in Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon, is being carefully taken down before it falls suddenly into the Row River. It wasn't in great shape, but a January windstorm moved it enough to make removing it a priority.

It was built in 1925 to bring logs to the J.H. Chambers Mill in Cottage Grove. The bridge is 78 feet long. Although steel was at a premium, it was used in the structural skeleton in order to support the weight of trains carrying logs. As with all wooden covered bridged, the wood then served to slow rain damage to the bridge floor. And made it look cool.

This is the only covered railroad bridge in Oregon.

The dismantling is funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. The City plans to replace it. Always sad to see something like this go, though. So glad I got to shoot it when to me, it was at its aesthetic prime.

Details at Eugene Register Guard