DEPOE BAY — A Salem construction company that earned its reputation for demolishing and rebuilding bridges in 30 days or less will take nearly a year to repair the historic Hwy. 101 bridge in Depoe Bay.

Carter & Co., fresh off refurbishing a bridge built in 1904 in the Willamette Valley farm town of Jefferson, began the job March 2. The $10.9 million price tag attests to the value the state of Oregon places on the series of iconic, art deco bridges designed in the early 20th century by Conde B. McCullough, the state’s brilliant head bridge engineer.

After years of battling the harsh coastal winds and saltwater to a standoff, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) decided it was time make critical repairs to the 99-year-old span.

“The last time they did anything major was back in ’93, when they applied protective coating,” said crew boss Chris Tomlinson. “This time, we’re here to save the whole thing.”

There are no wrecking balls or plastic explosives here, just blue-collar artisans with power chisels and concrete saws who intend to recreate the bridge’s classic balustrades and gothic arches using pre-cast concrete replacements for parts too far gone.

“This is piece work,” said Tomlinson.

Substructure maintenance also began this week as Eugene-based Safway Services lined the bridge with an exoskeleton of scaffolding to treat piers and “rotted and crumbling” arches amid the decorative railing sections. Further work will include ‘Cathodic Protection,’ sandblasting and installing systems designed to prevent future rust formation on the bridge’s internal steel.

“We just did three seismic upgrades in the Rogue Valley where we would tear down and rebuild a bridge in 30 days,” said Eric Parrett, a broad-shouldered expert with a jack hammer. “This is something else.”

Supervisor Tomlinson said construction will likely go on until Dec. 31, 2026, with crews working days, Mon.-Thur. Most activity occurs under the bridge, but travelers should expect occasional lane and sidewalk closures.

The Depoe Bay Bridge is among the most photographed spans in the world due to its beauty and location at the mouth of “the world’s smallest navigable harbor.” Original construction in 1927 produced a narrow, 18-ft. wide roadway with no sidewalks on a 150-ft. main arch. A “sympathetic widening’ on the west side to handle increased traffic occurred in 1940, widening the bridge to 48-feet with four lanes, sidewalks on both sides and a pedestrian underpass at the north end.

The bridge was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places on Aug. 5, 2005, due to its significance as part of Conde McCullough’s coastal bridge series, which he once described as “jeweled clasps in a wonderful string of matched pearls.” Other Nash bridges in Lincoln County include the nearby Rocky Creek Bridge on the Otter Crest Loop two miles south of Depoe Bay and the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport.

The 11 coastal bridges designed by McCullough were more than expressions of beauty, transforming a series of separated ferry crossings into an unbroken scenic and commercial route that transformed the remote Oregon coast into a vibrant destination.