   Bridge #1 - 1908 to 1957 Long Career to End  Bridge #1, 1957, December 21 FALLS CITY - A landmark now 50 years old, the Shaky Falls City bridge will be replaced soon by a reinforced concrete deck girder structure with a 30-foot road bed. Shown crossing the familiar bridge is Bill Hibdon, Falls City elementary school student. (Capital Journal Photo) .....The new structure will be a reinforced concrete deck girder type and there will be sidewalks on each side of the bridge. A highway spokesman indicated that bids on the new structure would be let at the January meeting of the highway commission. The completed bridge may be ready for public usage during May or June. TO CROSS AT ANGLE .....New Falls City bridge will not follow the alignment of the present structure. Instead, it will cross the stream at an angle to reduce sharpness of the turn into Main Street. Cost of the new bridge will probably be between $5,000 and $50,000. It will be financed with FAS money with Polk County participating. .....County Judge Cal Barnhart recalls that the present structure, now regarded as a landmark and skaky, was built back in 1908 when he was a youngster around Falls City. It now stands as an outmoded structure with its useful life near an end.  Site of future Bridge #2, 1958 This is the site of a future bridge at Falls City as seen in 1958. The construction hasn't begun yet, but the site has been cleared out. In the background is North Main Street Falls City with stores along the street.  Bridge #2 under construction in Falls City, Oregon, 1958  This bridge cost $ 35,000 new. This picture was taken on August 15, 1958. Notice that the street isn't finished on one side of the bridge.  This is a view of bridge #2 as seen August 1961.  This is a view of bridge #2 as seen 2004, before construction.  This is a view of Bridge #3 as seen Sept. 1, 2005. Projected project cost-$1.9 million |