Bullards Bridge, Vertical-lift bridge in Coos County, Oregon, US.
Bullards Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge carrying U.S. Route 101 over the Coquille River just north of Bandon, Oregon, immediately east of Bullards Beach State Park. Its lift span is flanked by two camelback truss spans. The bridge was completed in 1954 and is one of only two vertical-lift bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway.
The Oregon Highway Commission began construction in 1952 to replace the former Bullards Ferry, completing the work in September 1954. This new crossing eliminated the need for the old ferry service and gave the area its first permanent road link.
The bridge takes its name from the Bullard family, early settlers of the area. It replaced Bullards Ferry, whose slip stood about 80 feet (24 m) upstream. The crossing carries U.S. Route 101 past Bullards Beach State Park, immediately to the west.
The bridge is easy to reach as it sits on the main coastal route and is open to regular traffic. Visitors with tall vehicles should be aware of the clearance height when passing underneath.
The lift span has not been raised for marine traffic since about 2002; by 2009 it was opened only for annual maintenance tests. The bridge deck's overhead clearance was originally as low as 14 feet 10 inches, prompting work in 2006–07 to raise cross pieces by about 2 feet after tall trucks struck the structure.
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