Douglas Memorial Bridge/Old US 101 over the Klamath River

[Max Rockatansky]

US Route 101 originally crossed the Klamath River via the Douglas Memorial Bridge.  The Douglas Memorial Bridge opened in May of 1926 and was a replacement for the Klamath River Ferry out of Requa.  The Douglas Memorial Bridge was plagued throughout it's service life from threats of flooding on the Klamath River and was almost destroyed in 1955.  The Christmas 1964 Floods of Northern California wiped out almost the entire main span of the Douglas Memorial Bridge but left the south approach intact along with it's noted bear statues.  The Douglas Memorial Bridge was restored to service by March 1965 by way of a temporary piling structure by was soon bypassed but a better inland alignment of US 101 by 1966.  The south approach of the Douglas Memorial Bridge can still be found on the south bank of the Klamath River within Redwood National Park.  In this blog we examine the history of the Douglas Memorial Bridge from ferry replacement concept, it's construction as part of the Redwood Highway, and demise following the 1964 Christmas Floods. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/12/douglas-memorial-bridge-ruins-of-us.html

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/12/douglas-memorial-bridge-ruins-of-us.html