Whitewater Creek Bridge, Spanning Whitewater Creek on North Santiam Highway (OR 22), Idanha, Marion, OR

Significance: The Whitewater Creek Bridge #05981 is located on the North Santiam Highway within the boundaries of the Willamette National Forest. The bridge was designed in 1931 by the Bureau of Public Roads and built on the east section of the Detroit to Santiam Junction segment of Highway 22 in 1932 by the Oregon State Highway Department (now the Department of Transportation). The bridge is comprised of nine steel deck girder spans of varying lengths between 20 feet and 50 feet. The overall length of the bridge is 320 feet. The deck is 22 feet wide and accommodates two travel lanes and is flanked by decorative concrete balustrades with arched openings. The end piers of the balustrade are flared, and feature bush hammered inset panels. The bridge is supported by four riveted steel lattice towers that are tapered. These towers rest on battered concrete piers, and feature laced horizontal members. Roller bearings facilitate bridge expansion, with the bearings at the south abutment and a fixed shoe at the north abutment. The bridge derives its significance due to its association with Depression-era public works road construction projects. The bridge also embodies distinctive design characteristics of early steel deck girder structures with steel lattice towers in Oregon.
Survey number: HAER OR-150
Building/structure dates: 1932 Initial Construction