The Office Bridge is a covered bridge

Covered bridge

A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...

 in Westfir

Westfir, Oregon

Westfir is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 253 at the 2010 census. It is located about south of Eugene and about west of Oakridge in the Willamette National Forest.-History:...

, Lane County

Lane County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, U.S. crossing the North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River at the south end of the Aufderheide National Scenic Byway and edge of the Willamette National Forest

Willamette National Forest

The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...

. It is Oregon's longest covered bridge at 180 ft (55 m), and is one of only two in the state using triple Howe truss construction. It is the only covered bridge west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 which has a separate pedestrian walkway.

The bridge is a replacement for a 1941 bridge which washed away. It was built in 1944 by the Westfir Lumber Company to carry logging trucks and lumber trucks to the company's lumber mill and mill pond

Mill pond

A mill pond is any body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam across a waterway. In many places, the common proper name Mill Pond name has remained even though the mill has long since gone...

. The company headquarters and offices were located across the river beside National Forest Development Road 19, in what is now a bed and breakfast

Bed and breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...

. The bed and breakfast retains the company's walk-in safe

Safe

A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...

.

The company-owned town of Westfir, the mill, and the bridge were sold to an investment firm in 1977. The lumber mill burned to the ground in the early 1980s. In 1992 the bridge ownership changed to Lane County due to property tax foreclosure. Extensive structural work in 1993 stabilized the bridge. In 2002, the roof was replaced.

Formerly, the bridge was closed to public access. In about 2003, a small park was established on the north side of the bridge. The park also serves as a trailhead to North Fork Trail #3666, which follows the Wild and Scenic

National Wild and Scenic River

National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...

 section of the North Fork river. The Wild and Scenic designation ends a few hundred feet upriver from the bridge.
Each Christmas season, the town decorates the bridge with lights. A firetruck driven by Santa turns the lights on the first week after Thanksgiving.

External links

• Walk Through The Westfir Covered Bridge (Office Bridge) video walk across the bridge decorated for Christmas
• www.oregon.com: North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River (Office) Covered Bridge
• NationalBridges.com regarding Westfir Bridge