The Water Below

Trey Smith

We crossed the Hood River Bridge -- the second oldest span across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington -- twice yesterday. The second time was uneventful. It was just like crossing any bridge. The first time was more interesting. We were parked about mid-span for nearly 30 minutes as road crews were performing some bridge maintenance.

There is something different about this bridge from your average bridge. While the roadway is sturdy, it is not a flat slab. There is no concrete or asphalt. The bridge deck is made up of iron gratings.

While sitting on the bridge yesterday, Della gasped. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Oh my gosh! You can see the river underneath us!" Sure enough, I cracked open the car door and looked down. You could clearly see the mighty Columbia flowing beneath the bridge and our car!

I later asked a few locals WHY the bridge surface was so constructed. No one knew for sure. After thinking about it, my guess is that the lack of a flat continuous surface makes it safer to traverse in inclement weather. Snow can't build up and I would guess that ice isn't much of a problem either.

Of course, both snow and ice ARE problems at certain times of the year once you get off the bridge!