8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL October 7, 2015
Saginaw bridge among those declared 'structurally defi cient'
County hopes grant funding can correct 'scouring' at bridge's base
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
A
bout half of the bridges in the state of Or-
egon are maintained by county govern-
ments, and about seven percent of those bridges
can be classifi ed as “structurally defi cient,” ac-
cording to a recent report from the Association of
Oregon Counties.
Analysis from the AOC indicates that “249
county bridges in this state are structurally de-
fi cient, which is more than seven percent of the
bridges maintained by counties.”
According to a recent release, the 2014 analy-
sis pointed to the need for “an additional $505
million in annual funding to keep up with main-
tenance, preservation and capital needs” of Ore-
gon’s roads.
“County bridges represent one of the largest
shares of this unmet funding need, with a $105
million annual defi cit for bridge replacement, re-
pair and construction,” the release stated.
“Failure to adequately fund county bridges
in Oregon will result in costly detours for busi-
nesses trucking goods to market and employees
commuting to work. We must act soon to prevent
these signifi cant economic burdens on our already
struggling rural economies,” noted Emily Ack-
land, County Road Program Manager.
Here in Lane County, fi ve bridges can be quali-
fi ed as structurally defi cient, according to Brad
Lemhouse, an engineer with the County’s public
works department. Lemhouse said the County ap-
plied in July for grant funding to repair three of
the bridges and is awaiting word on the outcome
of those applications.
The County’s bridges are inspected every two
years, Lemhouse said, and recent inspections
have pointed out the defi ciencies in the Belknap
Covered Bridge and the bridge over Salt Creek at
Kitchen Springs near Oakridge, which has expe-
rienced “a lot of scouring,” or the washing away
of the riverbed at the bridge’s pylons, below the
water surface.
Scouring is also to blame for defi ciencies at the
bridge that spans the Coast Fork of the Willamette
River in Saginaw, Lemhouse said, which was also
the subject of a county grant application.
“The bridge starts digging out from its sup-
ports, and there is some exposed rebar. Some of
the walls are also showing issues,” he said, adding
that the “super-structure” of the bridge neverthe-
less remains strong.
Many of the County’s bridges were replaced
in the 1970s and 80s, when “our Road Fund was
more fl ush,” according to Lemhouse.
“We fi nd ourselves more dependent on federal
funding now and will continue to monitor our
bridges through the inspection process and take
action as needed,” he said.
The AOC echoed concerns about a shortage in
funding to repair the state’s bridges.
“While Oregon’s counties continue to prioritize
the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges,
insuffi cient revenues have made it impossible to
meet the outstanding need,” they stated. “At this
point, one in every 14 county bridges is structur-
ally defi cient. Without additional funding, this
situation will only get worse.”
The application for grant funding includes an
estimate of just over $1.1 million to shore up the
East Saginaw bridge.
Lemhouse said the County also inspected bridg-
es at Sharps Creek and Brice Creek, though those
bridges didn’t warrant action at this time.
All of Oregon’s counties are in the mix for grant
funding, Lemhouse said, and Lane County likely
won’t know if its bridges have been funded for
another year.
LORANE COUNTRY
NEWS
BY LIL THOMPSON
For the Sentinel
T
his Saturday, Oct. 10
brings the Rural Arts
Council dinner and movie
night’s start to the 2015-2016
season. Both meat and veggie
soups will be served. It’s fam-
ily night, so everyone is invited
to attend and enjoy.
The Crow Booster Auction
on Saturday, Oct. 24 is at Crow
High School. Classes in grades
K-12 will participate with proj-
ects, and the middle/high school
will have themed baskets for
auction. At the half-day art
classes this Thursday, Oct. 8,
they will be making costumes
with theater artist Alyssa Shep-
herd. Helpers are wanted to as-
sist in teaching the classes, and
those interested can contact ru-
ralartcenter@gmail.com or call
Shepherd at 541-556-8151.
Applegate Elementary has
begun an after-school program
for its students from 3:25-5 p.m.
Space is limited, so those inter-
ested are asked to check with
the offi ce at 541-686-5140.
photo by Jon Stinnett
While stating that the "super-structure" of this bridge in Saginaw is sound, county of-
fi cials hope grant funding can correct scouring at its base.
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