Goodpasture Covered Bridge crosses the McKenzie River near Vida, about 20 miles east of Springfield.  The bridge provides sole access for more than 80 residences and a large area of forest lands.  It’s also the second-longest covered bridge in Oregon, at 165 feet, and is known as Oregon’s most photographed covered bridge.  It was built in 1938 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This project will construct a seismic retrofit of the bridge to improve its resilience to earthquakes, such as a Cascadia Subduction Zone event. Retrofit elements will include installing rock anchors at the west (highway) end of the bridge, and removing weak soil at the east end.

The structure is timber and therefore at higher risk from fire.  The 2020 Holiday Farm Fire came very close to the bridge, which was saved by fire suppression efforts.  In general, the lower elevations of the western Cascade Range are considered very likely to experience increasing wildfire frequency and intensity due to climate change. This project will construct fire mitigation measures for the bridge. The primary measure will be a roof sprinkler system, which will include a dedicated water well and propane generator. Other measures include fire-retarding coating for the roof and timber structure, and removing adjacent vegetation to provide defensible space. 

The project is funded by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation grant and a State General Fund grant.  An engineering firm (DOWL) is performing the engineering design and environmental studies.  Construction is planned for 2027.

For more information, please contact the project manager, Ryan Sisson, at [email protected] or 541-682-6960.