Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
The Steel Bridge is named for the original 1888 Steel Bridge's pioneering use of steel instead of wrought iron.
Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
The original Steel Bridge was a double-deck swing span that turned on its axis and was the second to cross the lower Willamette after the original Morrison Bridge.
Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
When this bridge was built to replace the original Steel Bridge in 1912, the name was simply transferred.
Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
The Steel Bridge is the only vertical lift bridge in the world with two decks that move independently of each other, and is the second oldest vertical lift bridge in North America, after the Hawthorne Bridge.
Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
It was built by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company and is currently owned by Union Pacific, with the top deck leased to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
The main span is a 211-foot steel through Pratt truss, double vertical lift span, with 290-foot Pratt through truss spans at each end. When lowered, the lower deck is 26 feet above the water.
Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
The lower deck of the lift span, built for trains, telescopes into the upper deck built for street railways, pedestrians and gasoline and horse powered vehicles.
Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Raising the lower deck permits small craft on the river to pass without raising the entire bridge.
Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
When raised, the top deck is 165 feet above the water. It takes an average of three minutes to raise the bottom deck and five minutes to raise both.
Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
Gears, pulleys, sheaves, electric motors, and ten counterweights - five in each tower - provide the lifting power.
Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
The total moving weight of both decks and counterweights is nine million pounds.
Steel Bridge on October 23, 2009
The original cost of construction was $1.7 million. A redesign in 1986 to accommodate MAX Light Rail cost $10 million.
Steel Bridge on October 23, 2009
The RiverWalk pedestrian and bicycle crossing over the Willamette River is attached to the lower deck, It was constructed by the Portland Office of Transportation in partnership with the Union Pacific Railroad Company, with special thanks for the generosity of the following organizations: Louis Dreyfus, GSL Properties, Hoyt Street Properties, Kalberer Hotel Supply, H. Naito Corporation, METRO, NW Natural Gas, Oregon Arena/Corporation, Port of Portland, and Portland Development Commission. It was completed in the spring of 2001.
RiverWalk Plaque on June 10, 2007
| Bridge Type: | Steel Pratt Through Truss Double Vertical Lift |
| Opened: | 1912 |
| Designed by: | John Lyle Harrington & J. A. L. Waddell, Kansas City, MO |
| Substructure built by: | Union Bridge & Construction Company, Kansas City, MO |
| Superstructure built by: | Robert Wakefield, Portland, OR |
| Total Length: | 791 feet |
| Lift Span Length: | 211 feet |
| Closed Vertical Clearance: | 26 feet |
| Open Vertical Clearance: | 165 feet |
| Opening Time: | 3-5 minutes |
| Owned by: | Union Pacific Railroad |
Steel Bridge on June 5, 2010
Historical Photos:
Postcard of Original Steel Bridge (Multnomah County Genweb)
Postcard of Original Steel Bridge (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Original Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Original Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Original Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge Fully Raised (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Postcard View of Steel Bridge (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Steel Bridge with Lower Deck raised (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Shasta Limited on Steel Bridge (shastaroute.railfan.net/)
Postcard View of Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Postcard View of Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Steel Bridge Fully Raised (Portland Waterfront History)
Pacific Limited & Steel Bridge (Oregon Historical Society)
Steel Bridge (Oregon Historical Society)
Steel Bridge during the 1964 Flood (ODOT History Center)
Steel Bridge during the 1964 Flood (ODOT History Center)
Steel Bridge on June 5, 2010
The following pictures show Portland’s Vintage Trolleys running on the top deck, and freight and passenger trains running on the lower deck.
Vintage Trolley on Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
Vintage Trolley on Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
BNSF GP60M #143 on Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
BNSF C44-9W #5358 on Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
Oakway Leasing SD60 #9095 on Steel Bridge on June 10, 2007
Amtrak Train on Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Amtrak Train on Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Amtrak Train on Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Amtrak Train on Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Amtrak Train on Steel Bridge on September 7, 2008
Union Pacific SD70M #4270 on Steel Bridge, September 7, 2008
Union Pacific Freight Train on Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
Union Pacific Freight Train on Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
Union Pacific Freight Train on Steel Bridge on June 7, 2009
The following series of pictures shows the Steel Bridge in operation on June 5, 2010. The upper deck is partially raised for the passage of the Weeks Marine tugboat Thomas and barge WF-9.
Steel Bridge on June 5, 2010
Lower Deck Raising
Lower Deck Raising
Lower Deck Raising
Lower Deck Raised
Lower Deck Raised
Lower Deck Raised
Lower Deck Raised
Lower Deck Lowering
Lower Deck Lowering
Upper Deck Partially Raised
Upper Deck Partially Raised
Upper Deck Partially Raised
Upper Deck Partially Raised
Upper Deck Partially Raised
Weeks Tugboat Thomas & Barge WF-9 under Steel Bridge
Weeks Tugboat Thomas & Barge WF-9 under Steel Bridge
The following video shows trains crossing the Steel Bridge on June 5, 2010, and the lift operation pictured above.
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