Day 131

Location, Location, Location

August 4th, 2010



21 Comments

  1. Big Scott says:

    This Bridge go’s over Lake Coeur D’Alene Matt’s almost in Washington.

  2. mh in indy says:

    Judging from the overhead view on Google Maps, this section of the bridge pivots out of the way to permit large boat traffic to pass. I’d guess this is the control room.

    • Jeff says:

      or Awesomist Apartment #1

      Of which…..are there no mailboxes in the north west? No new entries there in a while.

  3. Don in Tennessee says:

    Is it a bridge house; you know like a tree house? It looks like a tower for a swing out or lift bridge. When I was a kid, I had an erector set and I made a lift bridge. It had an electric motor with it and I could actually make the center bridge section lift up on both sides. I wish i still had that erector set. Not sure what happened to it.

    The things you see by foot that you would not see by car- it is amazing!

    Matt- Again, thanks for sharing.

    • Ben says:

      This bridge is about 100 years old and sits over the St. Joe River as it flows by the intersections of Round Lake, Lake Chatcolet and Hidden Lake just before the river dumps into Coeur d’ Alene Lake…and yes that is the bridge house. The railroad was there to transport materials mined from Northern Idaho but they used to float logs down the St. Joe River (assisted by tugs). The bridge was a rotating bridge that would open to allow tugs and other watercraft through the river channel and then rotate close to allow for train traffic. They no longer send logs down the St. Joe and a few years ago the railroad was turned into a biker path. When the biker trail was constructed then the bridge was raised in order that it won’t interfere with water traffic. On the North End of this bridge is Hidden Lake where there is a unique bay of float houses that have been there for 100 years…accessible only by foot or boat.

  4. deanna valenti meyer says:

    We have a similar set up on our I-5 Bridge that crosses the Columbia River from Vancouver to Portland. I believe Don’s correct…they man the bridge lift. Our bridge is the last remaining place there is a stoplight (due to the aforementioned bridge lifts that happen) from Canada to Mexico.

  5. Dorinda from Mentor, Oh. says:

    @@@@ Dizzy @@@@ You’re right though Matt, location is everything. That’s got to be one nice view of the whole lake.

    • Lori says:

      Not quite the whole late, Dorinda. Lake CdA is very big, about 25 miles long. But to the north from this bridge, he could see the southern arm of the lake, and to the south, Lake Chatcolet & Beneway Lake & the “Shadowy St. Joe River”. It’s gorgeous! Very interesting story about the term “Shadowy”…see this flickr page w/ 2 photos & an explanation (not mine): http://www.flickr.com/photos/17366766@N00/1131899330/

      Farther upstream, the St. Joe gets narrower & more rapid. Used to take my sons up there fly fishing a lot — great catch & release trout fishing up there and spectacular scenery with the steep mountain walls on both sides.

  6. Karen Too says:

    My first thought, too, about the view. Must be great.

    Another perfectly centered shot. Love these kinds of bridges, too.

  7. Candice in Alabama says:

    How in the world do you get up into that control room? I can’t see the safe route!

    I love bridges! :)

    • Candice in Alabama says:

      I do see a kind of a handrail along the right hand top of the bridge. Do you just walk up from one end of the bridge?

  8. young says:

    A lovely domicile (work or play) but definitely not for the habitual sleepwalker…

  9. Stephen says:

    At least you don’t have to worry about annoying traveling salesmen knocking on your door.

  10. Janine says:

    That SHOULD be an apartment! Like a lighthouse keeper, this should be the bridge keeper’s quarters.

  11. Ben says:

    It is the old bridge keeper’s quarters…it sits on top of the intersection of a river and several lakes and used to rotate open to allow for boat traffic and logs that were floated down the river after logging…I explained the geography and bridge in a bit more detail above.

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