October 24, 2022 3:10 a.m.

The new Scottsburg Bridge on Oregon Highway 38, now features lighted pylons at each end of the structure, to help light up the area for those passing through.

A release from the Oregon Department of Transportation said lined with steep hills and tall trees, the highway can be a dark and challenging drive for some travelers.

Last week, ODOT staff turned on the lights of the pylons on the bridge, which spans the Umpqua River about 15 miles east of Reedsport.

ODOT Southwest District Manager Chris Hunter said the lights aren’t just for decoration. Hunter said, “It brings an awareness of the bridge in foggy weather and darkness”. He said the old bridge had often been hit by vehicles at night and during foul weather.

Bob Grubbs, the ODOT engineer who led the design of the new bridge said the pylons pay homage to Conde B. McCullough, who created many of Oregon’s most celebrated bridges along the coast in the 1920s and 1930s.

Grubbs said, “The design of the pylons was inspired by a couple of McCullough bridges, a combination of the Umpqua River Bridge (in Reedsport), in terms of height and relative shape, and the Springfield Bridge, in terms of the opening, light and texture”.

The release said the original Scottsburg Bridge opened in 1929 and carried highway traffic until May of this year, when it was decommissioned and removed. Grubbs said the old Scottsburg Bridge shared the same design with the Springfield Bridge, which also opened in 1929.

Construction on the new structure began in early 2020 and is nearly complete. Some work, such as the reconstruction of Main Street under the bridge, has been postponed until weather improves next spring.