Burnside Bridge

PhotoID: 5D0IMG04094

Burnside Bridge: Finished in 1926, the Burnside Bridge, another drawbridge, marks the absolute center of Portland, because Burnside Street divides the city into its north-south sectors and the Willamette River divides it into its east-west sectors.

The bridge was one of several built in the 1920's by Multnomah County (also the Sellwood and Ross Island Bridges) that was linked to a scandal after which Gustav Lindenthal, a prestigious bridge designer, was brought in to sure things up. [1] The bridge replaced an earlier bridge built in 1894; the bridge is 2,308 feet long and is a double-leaf bascule drawspan type. [2]

[1] Petroski, Henry. Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. P. 193..

[2] Smith, Dwight. Historic Highway Bridges of Oregon. Second Edition. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society, 1989. P. 118.

This Shoot: Some images of the Burnside Bridge from the east side of the Willamette River. Because they bridge is under construction on top, this is one of the only angles where you can't see the construction equipment in the picture.