New Bridge Construction at Smith Rock will Interrupt Some Park Access this August
January 19, 2023
If you’ve tried to observe the one-way traffic rule on the Smith Rock State Park bridge over the Crooked River since the railings were installed to channel the load, you know that increased traffic to the park has rendered the 50-year-old bridge obsolete. The good news is a new, wider bridge is coming this summer. The bad news is there will be NO bridge access for approximately 4 weeks during construction in mid to late summer.
The new bridge will expand the width by 2 feet, going from 6 to 8 feet, allowing greater access to visitors due to not only its new girth but its higher weight limit too. This will be a great benefit to SAR (Search and Rescue) teams as well as any fire suppression operations to have quicker and expanded access. There will be no temporary bridge, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department discourages wading across the river due to sensitive habitat and safety concerns.
When does this all begin? It depends on 2 environmental factors:
Raptor nesting season is from February 1 to August 1. Climbing restrictions are enforced during that time. Construction activity and noise near active nests are not permissible. The closures can be lifted before Aug. 1 if nests have fledged or failed.
The in-water work period for the Crooked River is July 1 through August 15. This period is in place to protect river breeding species from having structures placed in the water, such as bracing. This period might be extended in coordination with other agencies if needed and allowed.
What is the actual construction time and what will it affect?
Crews will begin the initial work in July and continue through September if needed, but the biggest impact on visitors is the 4-week bridge closure starting August 1, dependent on the environmental factors above. The goal is to complete as much of the bridge construction as possible between August 1-15.
Trails that will stay open include: Rim Rock Trail, Homestead Trail, Rope-de-Dope Trail, Canyon Trail, and North Point loop
Climbing areas accessible during construction include: North Point area (accessible from the Homestead and North Point loop trails), Rope-de-Dope boulder (accessible from the Rope-de-Dope trail and Canyon Trail) and The Lower Gorge (Climber Access routes)
Why wasn’t the original bridge left during the new bridge construction?
The original design was for the new bridge to be built 20’ upstream and keep the existing bridge open during construction. That location required a larger and heavier bridge, which would have necessitated a large crane to place it. In order to provide access for the crane to the footbridge site, the park would have needed to widen the existing canyon access road substantially (almost doubling the width). Replacing the bridge in its current location allowed for a lighter bridge that can be placed with a smaller crane, or possibly a helicopter.
Where are some of the places I’ll still be able to go during the bridge closure? See the links above and pics below:
“We know that this closure will have an impact on our park users, but our current footbridge must be replaced. Fortunately, we have many areas of the park for visitors to explore that don’t use this bridge, including Rim Rock Trail, Homestead Trail, Canyon Trail and North Point loop. Stop into the Welcome Center, or see the links above to learn about these other great areas. Thank you for your understanding and patience while this critical project takes place.”
We’ll do our best to get updates posted quickly, but if you have any questions not answered here, please address them to Smith Rock State Park Management: