Union Street Railroad Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Union Street Railroad Bridge |
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| Carries | Pedestrian traffic |
| Crosses | Willamette River |
| Locale | Salem, Oregon West Salem, Oregon |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pratt through truss, vertical-lift bridge |
| Total length | 722 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | March 15, 1913 |
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Union Street Railroad Bridge and Trestle
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 Location in Salem OR
Location in Oregon
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| Location | Jct of Union St. NE and Water St. NE, Salem, Oregon |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Waddell & Harrington |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001520 |
| Added to NRHP | January 11, 2006 |
The Union Street Railroad Bridge is a unique bridge in Salem, Oregon, United States. It crosses the Willamette River. This bridge is a special type called a vertical lift bridge. This means a part of it can move up and down. It also uses a "Pratt through truss" design. This design uses strong triangles to make the bridge sturdy.
The bridge was built a long time ago, between 1912 and 1913. For many years, trains used it to cross the river. In the early 1990s, trains stopped using it. In 2003, the City of Salem bought the bridge for just one dollar! From 2008 to 2009, it was changed into a bridge for bikes and people walking. Today, it's a popular path for everyone. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. This means it's an important historical landmark.
Building the Union Street Bridge
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The Union Street Railroad Bridge was designed by a company called Waddell & Harrington. They were experts in building bridges. The part of the bridge that lifts up uses their special patented design.
This bridge was first built for a railway company. It was called the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway (SFC&W). This company started in 1901. It was used to carry logs from forests. By 1909, the railway reached West Salem. People used a ferry to cross the river to Salem.
In 1912, a bigger railway company, Southern Pacific (SP), took control of the SFC&W. They decided to build this bridge. It would connect the railway line in West Salem to their main line in Salem. The bridge opened in 1913. It was first known as the Salem, Falls City & Western Railway Bridge. Southern Pacific officially bought the SFC&W in 1915.
Around the same time, Southern Pacific also got another railway company. It was called the Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railway (PE&E). Southern Pacific wanted to use the PE&E name for a new electric train network. Because of this, the bridge is also sometimes called the Portland, Eugene & Eastern Railroad Bridge.
How the Bridge is Built
The Union Street Bridge is quite long and tall. It has two tall towers. These towers rise about 65 feet (20 meters) above the main part of the bridge. The main part of the bridge, called the trusses, is about 35 feet (10.7 meters) tall.
The middle part of the bridge is special. It's called the lift span. This part is 134 feet (41 meters) long. The total length of the bridge itself is 722 feet (220 meters). On the western side, there's also a long wooden structure called a trestle. This trestle adds another 850 feet (260 meters) to the crossing.
The bridge rests on five strong concrete supports, called piers. These piers were designed to stand 35 feet (10.7 meters) above the river's low water level. This was to make sure the train tracks stayed about 5 feet (1.5 meters) above the highest possible flood waters. The lift span was designed to create a 55-foot (16.8 meters) gap for boats when it was raised.
The lift span has not been able to move since 1980. The small building where the bridge operator worked was removed sometime after 1980. This building also held the motors that powered the lift.
From Trains to People
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Regular passenger and freight train service on the bridge stopped in 1945. No one knows the exact date the very last train crossed the bridge. But it is thought to have been in the early 1990s.
In 2003, the City of Salem bought the bridge from the Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific had taken over Southern Pacific in 1996. The City bought it for just one dollar! The railroad also gave $550,000 to help with bridge maintenance.
A big project costing $3.2 million began to change the bridge. It was turned into a bridge for bicycles and people walking. This new path connects Riverfront Park and downtown Salem on the east side of the river. On the west side, it connects to Wallace Marine Park and West Salem.
The work to change the bridge started in 2008. It reopened for people walking and biking on April 18, 2009. It closed again for a short time in November for more work. This work included removing old lead-based paint. The bridge fully reopened on May 15, 2010.
The bridge is also built to allow emergency vehicles to cross. This helps if the other bridges in Salem, the Marion Street Bridge and Center Street Bridge, are busy or closed.
The Union Street Railroad Bridge and Trestle is an important part of history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 2006.
