Lane County approves $500,000 from hotel taxes to stabilize Currin, Stewart bridges

Lane County commissioners approved up to $500,000 in hotel tax revenue to stabilize the Currin and Stewart covered bridges near Cottage Grove, moving to address visible deterioration that staff say threatens the structures and local access. The appropriation is intended to fund immediate stabilization work on the two historic wooden bridges while longer-term needs are assessed.

Brett Henry, manager of Lane County Parks Division, told commissioners at the Feb. 3 meeting that the county needed to act quickly, asking for funds to repair the bridges "immediately, before these bridges collapse." County staff have documented structural problems dating back to 2014 and a follow-up inspection in 2021 that flagged urgent concerns. Photographs taken in early February show cracked paint, structural wear and other signs of disrepair on both bridges.

Inspection records and prior reports describe specific trouble at each crossing. The Currin Covered Bridge, built in 1925 and spanning the Row River near Cottage Grove, was found in 2014 to have wet wood caused by holes in the roof in at least 10 spots and large aggregate exposure. Currin is noted locally as the state's only covered bridge painted two colors. The Stewart Covered Bridge, built in 1930 and crossing Mosby Creek at a popular swimming hole, had a 2014 inspection calling for replacement of all floor beams and a 2021 follow-up that found Stewart "in danger of imminent failure" with decay in many parts of the bridge.

Not all commissioners supported the hotel-tax allocation. Pat Farr and David Loveall dissented, saying staff warned the bridges would likely need more than $500,000 in repairs and ongoing maintenance. The dissenting commissioners added, "Even if the bridges collapsed ... tourists would still come out to see the other 18 bridges." That phrasing contrasts with tourism material that identifies Cottage Grove as home to six covered bridges, a discrepancy that has not been clarified in county materials.

The two bridges sit inside a well-known local tourism network. Cottage Grove markets itself as a destination for covered-bridge tours and cycling, with a Covered Bridges Bikeway that routes visitors past multiple historic spans. The bikeway planning describes 17 miles of paved off-street path from downtown Cottage Grove passing three of the six covered bridges, and lists four restroom stops, seven parking areas and three picnic areas along that section. Dorena Bridge is noted locally as a popular wedding site, and other restored bridges in the area draw year-round visitors.

The $500,000 commitment is framed as emergency stabilization rather than a full rehabilitation. County staff warned commissioners that longer-term repairs and ongoing maintenance will likely exceed the current appropriation. Residents should expect the county to return with detailed scopes, cost estimates and timelines for full rehabilitation or replacement options. Local ballot measures and city-level street funding proposals addressing a $35 million backlog in road repairs also place infrastructure funding under scrutiny in coming months.

What comes next is a clearer accounting of scope and cost. Lane County will need to publish inspection reports and a timeline for stabilization work, and local officials will have to decide whether to seek additional funding for full restoration to preserve the bridges as public assets and tourist draws.