Historic Hood River
Bridge Up
10-17-2014
Notes
On April 6, 1940 the lift span was finally ready to allow ship passage under the newly modified Hood River -White Salmon Bridge. While it’s been repaired and updated through the years, the same basic structure is still in place today.
charlott
Fairly choppy water day…
James Holloway
Well that old bridge again, does anyone know about how many times per year, this lift span is put up. Now I’ve never seen it once, in all the years? Does it take a big tall sailing ship? Or what….?
Dan
James it seems pretty silly to build a bridge across the Columbia that’s didn’t have a lift span. Corp. of Engineers probably makes those decisions.
l.e.
In 45 years I can only remember having to wait twice for the lifted bridge and both of those times were years ago.
Buzz
Back in the day when young and driving big cars, I don’t remember the bridge being narrow. Last summer, after a 55 + year absence, I was amazed how the bridge had shrunk in width. Damn Democrats!
Kevin
The only time I remember (and seeing warning emails from the Port of Hood River) is for maintenance and when the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain were passing through going up/down river a few years ago.
James Holloway
Just what I thought! The span does not go up very often, kinda like a ‘Blue Moon’ I suppose…. And Buzz, you are right, it does seem to be getting more narrow, Maybe it is those Democrats, with a little Republican help I imagine! Or maybe as we age we get ‘tunnel vision’….?
Arlen Sheldrake
While I will resist the politics…..I wonder why pedestrians weren’t accommodated in the design….didn’t people want to walk across the river? I do remember stories about certain law officers taking undesirables on a one way trip to our neighbor to the north….maybe that was the reason….
Arthur
I don’t think there was any problem walking across the bridge when it was built, as traffic was much more sparse. I can’t fault the engineers who had maybe 10-15 years experience building roads for automobiles for not anticipating the bridge would be carrying a continuous stream of SUVs and trucks 90 years later.
I see the bridge go up a couple of times a year– my desk window looks straight out at it. It’s usually not during rush hour, and it doesn’t really take that long.
Norma
I remember walking out to the middle of the bridge in 1959 when Oregon celebrated their centennial. There were flatboats going down the river. Wonder if they stopped traffic at that time. Sure don’t remember any cars going by.
Buzz
Rush hour in Hood River!!! What time of day does that occur?
charlott
I don’t ever recall anyone walking across, there is hardly enough room to drive across, especially when you meet a semi or a big fruit truck headed to Underwood Fruit. Lots of mirrors have got clipped off vehicles on that brigde over time. I am sure people have walked across it, but I wouldn’t even want to think about it………
Kenn
I do not see the gas pipe between the tower tops, wonder when it was added.
l.e.
From the Mt Adams Sun: Oct. 15, 1937
Interstate Bridge Gets New Approach
Structure To Be Built Direct To Highway
Overhead Crossing at S.P.& S.Railway Intersection Is Also in Plans
The Oregon-Washington bridge company purchased right of way any(and) property to build an overhead approach to the present Hood River-White Salmon bridge straight to the Evergreen highway via the old C.D. Moore property, it was learned by the Sun this week.
The new approach will also have an overhead crossing at the point it intersects the S. P. & S. railway tracks.
l.e.
I just happened to come across this link to a photo of the Hood River/White Salmon bridge.
https://www.facebook.com/OregonStateArchives/photos/a.332597276807385.77905.328291870571259/726774787389630/?type=1
Barbara Parsons
Jan Johnson end I rode our bikes over this bridge in about 1957, on our way to Northwestern Lake to visit the Silberbergs at their summer cabin there. What was really horrifying about bicycling over the bridge was that, after you pedaled once, the grid floor of the bridge appeared to dissolve beneath you, and you seemed to yourself to be pedaling through thin air with the river heaving and roiling far below. Years later when I saw the movie "E.T." I got the same sensation watching that little guy ride his bike through the night sky.