Hoffman Bridge – Linn County

Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Fifteen!  Hoffman Bridge was another bridge I visited while I was in the area around Scio and just a bit east of Interstate five.  The bridge is one of the kinds I like, still being used as a means to get across a waterway – in this case Crabtree Creek.  I really love these still active bridges – it tells a lot about how much Oregonians appreciate their history.

How do I get to Hoffman Bridge?

If you plan carefully you can visit several bridges in and around just east of interstate five near Scio and Silverton.

Hoffman is like most of the other bridges I’ve seen in similar ways – first of all it’s still used daily for getting across Crabtree Creek and it has the regular white paint as well.

Arriving at Hoffman Bridge

Hoffman bridge is a little different in other ways as well – unlike most of the bridges I’ve seen this one has sharp angled sides on the entrance.  I thought this gave it a rather regal appearance and was a great introduction to this historic bridge.

Inside Hoffman bridge was a familiar interior – there are smaller (than usual) window openings on either wall.  They are a little recessed on the bottom – no doubt to protect against the weather, but the top depth isn’t too exaggerated.  The windows are copies of the entrance exit and have sharp angled sides.

Looking up the interior roof can be seen – I really liked the contrast with the natural wood color on the roof and it’s structure and the white painted cross-members.  The combination is just fantastic looking.

Crabtree Creek seen from Hoffman Bridge

Crabtree Creek is quite nice as far as creeks go – it’s not the clearest, but t’s very smooth and wide and has a couple of nice shorelines where folks can relax and enjoy the water.

Summary and Rating

Driving through these bridges is always a thrill – there is a sense of history that I felt.  I thought I’d try to share that sentiment with you all – it’s not the world’s best quality, but you get the idea.

Overall there was some familiarity with this bridge and some of the others (white color, drive through) there was also some differences.  Additionally, this bridge is located near several others, all of which can be seen in a morning or afternoon, something I definitely encourage folks to do.  I really liked the colors of the bridge as well – the contrast is quite inspiring.  Hoffman deserves five Heywillamettes – it’s close to other bridges, near some beautiful water, and has some unique design elements..