Toledo

Chitwood Covered Bridge

This is the first covered bridge to be restored in Lincoln County and it is named for the community of Chitwood, which is named for its founder, Joshua Chitwood. The bridge was originally built in 1933 and has a Howe Truss that is 96 feet long. It spans the Lower Yaquina River near Highway 20 east of Toledo. Otis Hamer using the Howe Truss design – a method combining iron uprights with wooden supports, patented by William Howe in 1840, built the bridge in 1926. The same truss design was used when Aubrey Mountain Construction rebuilt the bridge in 1983-84 with federal and state funding. Also retained were the flared sides, semi-elliptical portal arches and barn red color, characteristics found in all Lincoln County covered bridges. Leading the reconstruction effort for the Chitwood Bridge was local resident Sharon Salazar, who now serves as vice-president of the Covered Bridge Society of Oregon. Today, Chitwood is a ghost town but the bridge still provides access to motorized traffic from Highway 20 to homes across the Lower Yaquina River. The weight limit is eight tons. HOW TO GET THERE: From Newport drive east on Hwy 20. From Corvallis drive west on Hwy 20. The bride is located near milepost 17.