An historic covered bridge on the campus of Oregon State University will get some needed repairs this fall. The Irish Bend Covered Bridge was built in the early 1950’s on a rural road about 15 miles southwest of Corvallis. After the road was re-aligned, the bridge fell into disrepair. A fundraising effort in the late 80’s led to the bridge being dismantled and moved to the OSU campus, where it now forms part of a bike path.
The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an example of a typical bridge design used by highway engineers in the early-to-mid 20th century. Now, the span needs repairs, including a new roof. The $305,000 cost will be paid for in part by a federal program designed to preserve covered bridges. Because it’s no longer part of a road, it doesn’t qualify for gas tax revenue. The rehab work is scheduled to start in September.
