Lowell Covered Bridge Rehabilitation and Site Improvements

摘要

After being closed to traffic for 25 years and allowed to fall into an advanced state of deterioration, the Lowell Covered Bridge in Lane County, Oregon, has recently been renovated as a recreational/informational facility. The site is now a highway wayside, complete with offroad parking, restrooms, an espresso stand, and an ADA-compliant promenade that provides access to a beautiful lake in the foothills of the Cascade Range. Interpretive exhibits provide visitors with information about Oregon covered bridges, local recreation opportunities, and bridge-building history and technology.rnOBEC Consulting Engineers has been involved in the rehabilitation of many of Oregon's historic covered bridges, but this project represented a long-shot that may never have succeeded. The bridge was no longer open to traffic and therefore not eligible for highway funds, so there was no single source of funding available to repair and refurbish the structure. However, there were key people in strategic positions who recognized the value of saving this bridge and there was a spirit of cooperation among the members of the multi-disciplinary development team.