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58 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 7, 2004 Bridge-building: 660 days from start to finish By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune GOLD BEACH — Construction on the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge was launched when Southern Oregon, like the rest of the nation, was caught in the grips of the Great Depression. About 600 people from all walks of life were hired to work on the project, which began in March 1930. Traffic began rumbling across it about 660 days after construction began. Before the bridge was completed near the mouth of the Rogue, a ferry was the main means for crossing the river. "When we first started this restoration project, we talked to some old people here who said their dads would row them across the river to go to school," said David Fletcher, project engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Advertisement "Until this bridge was completed in 1932, that was how they crossed the river," he said. The original construction project was awarded to the Mercer Fraser Co. of Eureka, Calif., for $600,000. It was designed by Conde B. McCullough, Oregon’s famed state bridge engineer from 1919 to 1935 who created structures of both strength and beauty. McCullough was the first American to adopt the techniques of French engineer Ernest Freyssinet, using his unique "arch ring decentering and stress control," according to ODOT. However, McCullough never built another bridge using the same technique. The bridge was dedicated to then Oregon Gov. Isaac Lee Patterson, the principal promoter behind the project. The bridge was officially unveiled on May 28, 1932, when more than 5,000 gathered for the ceremony. Back in Washington, D.C., Vice President Charles Curtis pressed a gold telegraph key, signaling Gold Beach residents to begin the celebration, which included a massive salmon barbecue. It was considered the most advanced concrete bridge in the nation when it was completed. In 1982, the bridge was listed as a national engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The state has recommended that it and other Oregon bridges designed by McCullough be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. For additional information on the project, check out www.odot.state.or.us/region3public/patterson/ on the Web. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times