The 1966 Shimanek Bridge is a Howe truss covered bridge located near Scio in Linn County, Oregon. The 130-foot (40 m) long bridge replaced a similar structure severely damaged by the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 and is the fifth bridge at this location. The fourth bridge was built in 1927, and the first is thought to have been built in 1861.

Carrying Richardson Gap Road, the Shimanek bridge crosses Thomas Creek and is the longest covered bridge in Linn County and the newest. It offers an exception to the usual open-sided structure with rounded portals.

The first bridge built at this location is believed to have been constructed as early as 1861, while the first documented covered bridge was built in 1891 for a cost of $1,150. It has been rumored that the 1891 bridge had a welcome accommodation of a two-hole toilet built into the foundation, a luxury not found at the current covered bridge. Then, in 1904, the county rebuilt the bridge, only to have it washed out in 1921. Its replacement lasted until 1927, when high water damaged the piers and the span had to be replaced.

Red paint, portal design, and louvered windows are features of the bridge built in 1927 and found on no other bridge in Linn County. Rods in the truss are grouped into a series of four instead of the usual three at each compression joint. The bridge shares the white interior of other Linn County bridges.

In November 2015, the bridge was closed for repairs after an inspection revealed "serious decay". A county crew renovated the structure in 2002, repairing damage caused by a flood in 1996, replacing the horizontal housing material on the south end, and then repainting the bridge. Trees had been blown against the fourth covered bridge at this site during the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. The resulting damage forced the county to restrict the covered bridge to a 2-ton load limit with single-lane traffic.

Shimanek Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Thomas Creek – Shimanek Covered Bridge in 1987.

Located at:  N44 42.943   W122 48.262       -       WGCB #37-22-03

Photographed in May of 2025

Photos by Millard Farmer