Nutty Narrows Bridge

Nutty Narrows Bridge
File:Squirrel Bridge 0002.jpg
Coordinates
Carries	Squirrels
Crosses	Olympia Way
Locale	Longview, WA
Characteristics
Design	Stressed ribbon bridge in imitation of a Suspension Bridge
Material	fire hose and unknown metals
Total length	60 feet
History
Designer	Amos Peters, Robert Newhall, and LeRoy Dahl
Constructed by	Amos Peters
Construction end	1963
Opened	1963
Nutty Narrows Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Longview, Washington, spanning Olympia Way between 18th Avenue and Maple Street
NRHP Reference #	14000500
Added to NRHP	August 18, 2014

The Nutty Narrows Bridge is a squirrel bridge in Longview, Washington. It has the title of the "World's Narrowest Bridge" and also the "World's Narrowest Animal Crossing." The Nutty Narrows was named by a local councilwoman after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

History

Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid speeding traffic by running across the street to eat a nutty feast at an office building and back again to a park with large trees.

On March 19, 1963, Amos Peters, after seeing many squirrels being flattened, decided to protect squirrels and give them a way to cross a busy thoroughfare without getting killed by passing cars. The original sky-bridge was built over Olympia Way near the Civic Center in downtown Longview.

A close-up of the bridge deck with sign

Designed to look like a mini-suspension bridge, the 60-foot-long (18 m) span and made of an aluminum piping covered with a retired firehose to create the roadway. The total cost for the bridge was $1000.

In 1983, Peters took down the bridge for repairs. Crosspieces were replaced and the faded sign was repainted. Upon its completion, the bridge was re-dedicated with special guests Chip 'n' Dale and Mickey Mouse from Disneyland. Also in attendance were 300 children and local dignitaries.

Upon Peters' death in 1984, a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in his memory.

Today

Due to the anchor trees supporting the bridge growing old and beginning to rot, the bridge was moved 100 yards east in 2007 to its current location connecting R.A. Long Park at the Civic Center to the Longview Public Library over Olympia Way. In 2010 it was moved again after being determined to be a traffic hazard. It is now "three trees from its original spot over Olympia Way". On July 25, 2013 the Longview City Council voted to place the Nutty Narrows Bridge on the Longview Register of Historic Places. It is also listed on the Washington Heritage Register, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Two more bridges have been added to keep the squirrels safe. One is on Kessler Blvd. and the other is on Nichols Blvd. The local Sandbaggers plan to add to this number yearly.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cowlitz County, Washington
• List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington