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37 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, December 19, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | 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 July 7, 2003 Officers photograph the remains of the Wimer Bridge on Sunday after the historic covered span collapsed into Evans Creek. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Investigation points to structural defect as likely cause By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A support beam that had a known structural defect is the most likely cause of the Wimer Bridge collapse, county officials have determined during preliminary inspections. "It’s probably the truss," said Jackson County Engineer Dale Petrasek. Two trusses, which are frameworks of beams that work together to give support to a structure, are an integral part of the bridge design. Petrasek said the upper beam on one of the trusses had been identified in an earlier inspection as having a "bow" or curvature that would require replacement when the bridge was refurbished. Advertisement Engineers had determined the bridge needed a new deck and structural repairs in 2002 when the weight limit was lowered from nine tons to three. County road inspectors said the direction in which the bridge collapsed indicates that it was the defective truss on the upstream side that apparently gave way. Petrasek said a more thorough investigation of the bridge’s failure will be conducted this week. Petrasek said the county had planned to seek bids for rebuilding the bridge in September. With the complete collapse of the structure, he said he wasn’t sure what it would cost to rebuild it. Wimer resident Randy Jentzsch said, "They should have fixed this a while ago." He also thinks it should be rebuilt. "It’s a landmark," he said. Wimer resident Pam Sparks said, "I still don’t believe it. I new it needed repairs — but this." If the county knew the bridge had structural problems, she wondered why vehicles were still allowed to cross it, putting pedestrians like Mickey Haynes and the five-year-old twins in harm’s way. "I think Mick’s going to own the county after this," she said. Wimer resident Bill Fuller also wondered why the county would allow cars to travel across an unsafe bridge. "Somebody’s negligent here," he said. A history of reconstruction Wimer Bridge, one of four covered bridges in Jackson County and the only one that allowed vehicle traffic, has had a long history in the area: Built in 1892 Replaced in 1927 Repaired in 1937 and 1939 Condemned as unsafe in 1956 Refurbished in 1962 Repaired in 1977 Overhauled in 1985 Repaired in 1993 Scheduled for overhaul in 2002 Collapsed on July 6, 2003 Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times