Shimanek Bridge

The Shimanek Bridge carries Richardson Gap Road over Thomas Creek about two miles east of Scio, and holds the distinction of being both the longest and the newest covered bridge in Linn County. It is the fifth structure to stand at this crossing, following predecessors dating to roughly 1861, 1904, 1921, and 1927 — a lineage repeatedly cut short by disaster, including a 1921 washout and 1927 flood damage to the piers, before the fourth bridge was finally felled when trees toppled onto it during the catastrophic Columbus Day Storm of 1962, forcing a single-lane, two-ton weight limit until the current 130-foot Howe truss span was completed in 1966. Its most striking feature is its paint: Shimanek is the only red covered bridge in Linn County and one of just two painted red anywhere in Oregon, further distinguished by gothic-arch, louvered window openings rather than the plain rectangular cutouts typical of neighboring bridges. Local lore holds that an even earlier 1891-era bridge at the site featured a built-in two-hole outhouse, an unusual amenity for a rural crossing. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 2, 1987, the bridge completed a major $2.9 million restoration in 2022-2023 and remains open to vehicular traffic today.