This wooden covered bridge built in 1916 spans Abiqua Creek in rural Silverton, Oregon. The 84-foot-long bridge derived its name during prohibition when it was a meeting place for bootleggers and moonshiners. With a quick restoration done to repair the bridge in 1964 after a flood, ARCIFORM was brought on to properly restore the bridge in 2012.

THE CHALLENGE

The restoration included removing the shake-style roof structure and rebuilding it true to it’s original form with resawn timber. It took a full summer (4 months) to complete. With the ARCIFORM crew camping in the area and local farmers helping out by lending tractors and hands, this was a true community project.

ECO CONSIDERATIONS

ARCIFORM was careful to follow the US Fish & Wildlife endangered species program by not interrupting migratory passage of endangered birds that might use the roof structure and by protecting the water way beneath the bridge.

With a bridge this large, protecting the water way is quite intensive. A full understructure was built and dozens of Biobags (mesh bags filled with wood chips) were used to protect Abiqua Creek from any construction debris.