Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1917-01-02
BRIDGE NOT SAFE NOW
STATE ENGINEER MAKES RE-
PORT ON COURTS REQUEST
Recommendations Include Suspension
Of General Traffic But Would Per-
init Greatly Restricted Loads.

The inter-county bridge at Salem
is no longer safe to general traffic; for
time the bridge is comparatively
safe for "greatly restricted" traffic,
yet, "while this bridge has outlived
the period of its usefulness, it is diff
ficult to predict the exact time, or
under just what circumstances it will
ultimately fail. No one can guaran-
tee its safety even with the repairs
which have been made, or under the
restricted use above recommended -
such are the conflicting and puzzling
findings of the state highway commits
sion made upon the request Of the
county courts of Marion and Polk
counties for physical examination
of the bridge. The report was sub
mitted December %.
The report is signed by State En-
gineer John II. Lewis and is based up
on a physical examination Of the
bridge and a study of the stresses
made by Joseph Weare, assistant en-
gineer in charge of the bridge depart
ment, assisted by L. W. Metzger, de-
signing engineer. The report recon-
mends that Marion and Polk counties
"take steps in the near future look
ing toward the securing Of ferry TO
handle the traffic at this point, and
that as soon as it becomes practicable
and safe to operate such ferry after
the 1917 spring floods, that the pres
ent inter-county bridge be closed to
all traffic" No mention is made why
the bridge can be made to last through
the stresses caused by high waters Of
the spring and heavy winds Of the
winter, yet should be abandoned as
soon as the heavy stresses are over.
The report further recommends that
the maximum total concentrated live
load should not exceed three tons and
then only when alone on span. No
loads should be allowed to pass during
heavy winds. Long intervals between
any but the lightest vehicles should be
Droves of animals
should be broken up. No consider
able number of people should be al
lowed to assemble on the span nor un-
der any circumstances be permitted
to cross more than few at time"
Though the two requests of the two
county courts, made December ., ask
ed for, first, physical examination
Of the bridge with recommendations
as to whether the bridge could be rec
commended for use by restricted traf-
&c, and second, to recommend n site
and type of proposed new bridge,
the report goes further and recon-
mends that the bridge should be used
until suitable accommodations can be
made to secure a ferry.
When interviewed Saturday Judge
Kirkpatrick would make no statement
for publication concerning the report,
saying that he and the commissioners
preferred to wait until joint meet
ing of the county courts Of Marion
and Polk might be held. The two
courts can not possibly get together
until the end of this week or the be-
ginning of next.
"While the closing Of the inter
county bridge would prove a great in
convenience to the residents OF the
West Salem district, inasmuch as the
capital is the logical market place for
that territory, / am firmly convinced
that in its present physical condition
IL is a constant menace TO life and
that traffic across the structure should
cease without unnecessary delay.
These are the words Of Mr.. Chas. A
Parks. a prominent resident OF West
Salem. who was a Dallas visitor on
Saturday last. Mr.. Parks told a rep
of The Observer that be
had occasion to cross the inter-county
bridge many times each week, and
that he always felt sense OF reiief
when he touched terra frma. He com
eided with the recommendation made
by State Engineer Lewis that the
structure be closed to traffic, notwitn-
the significant fact that his
own interests, as well as those OF his
neighbors, would be temporarily leoP
ardized. II would be quite impossible
for the counties to establish ferry
that would afford adequate facilities
for the heavy travel, thinks Mr.. Perks
but even such an Inconvenience ecnif
be tolerated rather than to run IN
risk Of losing lives with the eoilaps
of the bridge, which seems ProDao'