Crawfordsville Covered Bridge - Featured In The Movie!

Crawfordsville Covered Bridge spans the Calapooia River in the small community of Crawfordsville. The bridge runs parallel to the Halsey-Sweet Home Highway and serves as a pedastrian walkway across the river.

A small park adjacent to the bridge includes picnic tables and fire pits, creating a scenic picnic spot.

The Howe truss bridge sits at 105 feet (32 m) and has narrow slit windows on both sides of the structure. Originally, the bridge featured rounded portals, but these were enlarged and made square to accommodate larger vehicles before it was bypassed.

Interestingly, the bridge appeared in the 1976 movie "The Flood," immortalizing the structure on the large screen.

The community has hosted an annual Bridge Day festival each summer since 1990, celebrating bridge history.

History

The Crawfordsville Covered Bridge was constructed in 1932. Initially serving as a functional route over the Calapooia River, it was bypassed in 1963 and became a pedestrian passageway.

The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Despite its historic significance, the bridge received minimal maintenance until 1987. That year, around $23,000 was dedicated to bridge renovation.

Unfortunately, the 1996 flood severely damaged the bridge, breaking steel rods and wood beams. The country dedicated over $24,000 to reconstructing and restoring it to its original condition.