Last month’s Bridge Update was a hive of activity, but this month’s is pretty quiet.  Things will start ramping up in December, when in-water work will begin for the “Shoo-Fly” temporary detour bridge.  For those of you who just can’t do without your monthly bridge fix, here’s a little historical tidbit from the County’s Bridge Project website about the construction they were doing last month…

“Some of the project’s first field work took place this month when a building below the east approach to the bridge was demolished to make room for the new bridge.  The former Oregon Door Company building was built in 1909 when the waterfront in the Sellwood area had many industrial buildings. When Multnomah County built the Sellwood Bridge in the 1920s, it lacked funds to buy the building that was in the path of the east approach to the bridge. The county bought an easement and constructed six columns for the bridge through the building. For the next 85 years, the building sat under the bridge. Eventually, it became an office building.  This year, the county acquired the building and a parking lot for the bridge project. The new bridge will be built where the building stood and the old bridge will need to be demolished in a few years. A contractor removed the building in October, recycling its old growth timbers and other reusable parts. The six bridge columns inside the building are in good condition.”