Historic Hood River

Notes

I like this “action shot” of the reconstruction of the Hood River White Salmon Interstate Bridge.  The year is 1936, and Bonneville Dam construction is advancing rapidly.  Up in our stretch of the river they need to make room in the maze of wooden trusses and piers and pilings holding up the original 1924 roadway to insert a concrete pier which will support a new and higher roadway.  The steam donkey on the barge provides the muscle to move those members around.

When the concrete piers were in place, steel trusses were placed on top of them to support the new roadway, and all of this wood was removed.  By this point the wooden components had been exposed to the river and weather for at least 12 years.  I wonder what the expected life span is for a wooden bridge like this?

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