Union Street Railroad Bridge

AWARD: for the remarkable restoration of this obsolete 1913 bridge and for its adaptive re-use as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing that has become a popular destination and source of community pride.

This vertical-left bridge represented state-of-the-art engineering when originally constructed.  By 1990, however, the bridge had outlived its usefulness and was abandoned.  The city of Salem acquired title to the bridge in 2004 for $1 and, through funding from federal, state, city, and private sources undertook a complete restoration and transformation of the bridge.

The result is a much-used pedestrian and bicycle crossing that connects Downtown Salem with West Salem.  The conversion included construction of new decking, installation of railings and lighting, and provision of scenic overlook platforms.