November 6, 2025 3:30 a.m. 

The Stewart Park Drive Bridge in Roseburg reopened on Tuesday night.

It had been closed to vehicle traffic for several months of construction, which started in February. Information from the City of Roseburg said the steel truss bridge, commonly referred to as the “Green Bridge” remained open to pedestrians and bicyclists during most of the project.

The structure was built in the early 1930’s and is one of the smallest cantilever bridges in the country. The $6.3 million project was paid primarily with federal funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Program. The City of Roseburg had a match of just over 10 percent, contributing more than $649,000.

With the project complete, the bridge is now load-rated to allow the passage of single-rear-axle fire trucks, which weigh about 43,000 pounds, and short-haul vehicles and commercial delivery trucks.

The wooden walkway was replaced with plastic lumber decking. The handrail design changed from a metal-mesh screen to a simpler design with top and bottom rails and closely spaced vertical uprights or “balusters”. Lighting on the bridge was improved as well.

City of Roseburg information said that City Manager Nikki Messenger and then Public Works Director Dawn Easley communicated to the state that city staff and the Roseburg City Council preferred for the bridge to remain green. However, the city chose not to insist on the green color because that could have delayed repairs or risked losing the funding altogether. The bridge is now black in color.

Dan Latham of the Oregon Department of Transportation said some cleanup work will take place over the next week or two, but no more traffic impacts are expected.