Bullards Bridge
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The Bullards Bridge (or simply Bullards Bridge) is a
vertical-lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swi ...
that spans the Coquille River near where the river empties into the Pacific Ocean, just north of Bandon,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, United States. One of only two vertical-lift bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway (
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
), it was completed in 1954."Coast Road Link Ready" (September 19, 1954). '' The Sunday Oregonian'' (Portland), p. 40."Millan, Felix (January 11, 2007). "Iron man" (about the foreman of a project to modify the Bullards Bridge). '' The World'' (Coos Bay, Oregon). The lift span is flanked by two camelback truss spans. It is located immediately east of Bullards Beach State Park. The bridge was built to replace Bullards Ferry, a
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
service whose slip was located about upstream from the bridge that replaced it."Road Commissioners Plan for Span" (December 8, 1950). ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...
'' (Portland), p. 17.
The name originates with the Bullard family, who were among the early settlers in the area. The Oregon Highway Commission awarded a contract for construction of the bridge and a new section of highway in October 1952."Bandon Job Goes To Portland Firm" (October 23, 1952). ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...
'' (Portland), p. 11.
The completed bridge was dedicated on September 20, 1954. The overhead clearance for vehicles on the bridge deck originally was between and ,The World staff (March 23, 2004). "Span over Coquille River is damaged and traffic diverted ... again." '' The World'' (Coos Bay). but after multiple instances of tall trucks striking the bridge, work was undertaken in 2006–07 to move certain cross pieces in order to increase the vertical clearance on the roadway by about 2 feet. Average daily traffic on the bridge was about 6,000 vehicles in 2004,McCasland, Steve (April 3, 2004). "Bridge repairs prolonged". '' The World'' (Coos Bay). but had grown to about 8,300 by 2007. In late 2009, the
Oregon Department of Transportation The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway De ...
was planning a $3.4 million rehabilitation of the Bullards Bridge for 2010–11. The bridge's draw span is very rarely opened now; as of 2009, it had not been raised for marine traffic in seven years, being operated only for annual test openings for maintenance.


See also

* * * *
List of bridges on U.S. Route 101 in Oregon This is a list of bridges and tunnels longer than 100 feet (30 m) on U.S. Route 101 in Oregon, also known as the Oregon Coast Highway, from south to north. Many of them were designed by Conde McCullough. See also *Lists of Oregon-related topic ...


References


External links

*{{Structurae , id = 20031731 , title = Bullards Bridge 1954 establishments in Oregon Bridges completed in 1954 Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Transportation buildings and structures in Coos County, Oregon Road bridges in Oregon U.S. Route 101 Vertical lift bridges in Oregon Steel bridges in the United States