When construction began on the Bonneville Dam in 1934, the federal government paid to move most of the infrastructure that would be flooded by the new water level, like the highway and the railroad. However, privately owned bridges were considered waterway obstructions. The $500,000 expense was determined to be the owners’ responsibility.
Excerpt from the 1937 US Army Corps of Engineers illustrated map showing the anticipated shoreline of the new reservoir.
The Wauna Toll Bridge Company recruited the owners of the Hood River bridge to jointly lobby for federal support. Negotiations included federal pressure to remove tolls, threats of punitive finesfor the waterway obstruction, and proposals to construct a toll-free bridge at Bonneville Dam. The federal government ultimately agreed to provide financial relief to the private owners in 1938.
The new reservoir behind Bonneville Dam raised the water level beneath the bridge that same year before any work was accomplished. The new clearance was only 90 feet above the river level.
The Bridge of the Gods closed on March 25, 1940 to complete the 44-foot lift. The Tavares Construction Company from California was awarded the contract for the bridge lift with a bid of $438,000. Engineer Carl Tavares came from Los Angeles to lead the project.
Workers inserted sheets of steel called shims between lifts. This was a failsafe to keep the span from slipping or dropping in case of an accident with the jacks.
Preparation work took place between March and May. The 300-foot center span was disassembled and stacked on near the roadway. The toll booth was relocated to the Oregon shore. Concrete counterweights were added to the spans to prevent tipping. Four 500-ton hydraulic jacks were installed beneath each main span bearing, with two 200-ton jacks placed on the anchor piers.
Finally, the spans were raised in seven-foot increments. The weekly work cycle was to raise one side of the span seven feet on Monday; construct concrete forms on Tuesday; place reinforcing steel on Wednesday; pour fast-hardening concrete on Thursday; then repeat on the opposite side. The Bridge of the Gods reopened on July 17, 1940, now 140 feet above the Columbia River.
Before 1938: A sternwheeler passing under the bridge during low water.
Between 1938-1940: S.S. Charles L. Wheeler Jr. was the first deep sea freighter to pass through the lock at the Bonneville Dam, July 9, 1938. The fore and aft topmasts were removed to allow her to pass under the Bridge of the Gods and Hood River Bridge.