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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Willamette River Bridges: Steel Bridge

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

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

Union Pacific SD70M #4270 on Steel Bridge, September 7, 2008

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 Raised

Lower Deck Lowering

Upper Deck Partially Raised

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.

Steel Bridge on June 5, 2010

Continue to Broadway Bridge…

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Willamette River Bridges: Burnside Bridge

Burnside Bridge on June 10, 2007

The Burnside bridge takes its name from Burnside Street, which was named for Daniel W. Burnside (1825-1887), a Portland flour merchant, and a partner in the firm Snow, Burnside & Savier, located on S.W. 4th Ave.

Burnside Bridge on June 10, 2007

The original Burnside Bridge was completed in 1894. Two of its spans were relocated over the Sandy and Bull Run rivers, and some of its girders were used in the approaches of the Sellwood Bridge.

Burnside Bridge on June 10, 2007

This Burnside Bridge was the eleventh of twelve movable bridges built in Portland's harbor during the twentieth century; only the Morrison Bridge is newer. It was originally designed by Ira G. Hedrick and Robert Kremers of Portland. The opening mechanism is the patent of Joseph Strauss (1870-1938), whose Golden Gate Suspension Bridge would open 11 years after the Burnside.

Burnside Bridge on June 10, 2007

The Burnside Bridge was Portland's only bridge designed with an architect's input, resulting in its Italian Renaissance towers. In the 1920s, fiscal shenanigans resulted in the indictment of public officials and engineers responsible for erecting three bridges across the Willamette. Gustav Lindenthal, consulting engineer, was called from New York City to save the day. One of the most respected bridge engineers in the world, Lindenthal redesigned the Ross Island and Sellwood bridges, and finished the Burnside Bridge. The three were the largest construction projects on the West Coast at the time and came in on budget. They opened the east side to vast expansion of residential neighborhoods.

Burnside Bridge on September 7, 2008

Bridge Type:	Steel Strauss-style double-lift trunnion bascule
Opened:	May 28, 1926
Designed by:	Ira G. Hedrick & Robert Kremers, Portland, OR Completed by Gustav Lindenthal Bascule Span by Joseph Strauss
Piers built by:	Pacific Bridge Company, Portland, OR
Bridge built by:	Booth & Pomeroy
Total Length:	2,308 feet
Lift Span Length:	252 feet
Width:	86 feet
Closed Vertical Clearance:	64 feet
Opening Time:	Approx. 7 minutes
Construction Cost:	$4.5 minutes
Owned by:	Multnomah County

Burnside Bridge on September 7, 2008

The entire bridge is 2,308 feet long, with a 252 foot center span and two 268-foot steel deck truss spans. The bridge is 86 feet wide and originally featured six traffic lanes. One lane was removed in 1995 to make room for two bicycle lanes. Its concrete deck makes it one of the heaviest bascule bridges in the United States, and the counterweights in the piers weigh 1,700 tons.

Willamette Queen at the Burnside Bridge on February 1, 2010

In this photo the sternwheeler Willamette Queen is passing under the Burnside Bridge on February 1, 2010.

Burnside Bridge on June 5, 2010

Historical Photos:
Burnside Bridge Grand Opening, 1926 (Portland Auditor's Office)
Burnside Bridge, circa 1926 (Oregon Historical Society)
Postcard View of Burnside Bridge (Portland Waterfront History)
Burnside Bridge during the 1964 Flood (ODOT History Center)

This series of pictures shows the Burnside Bridge opening to allow the passage of the Weeks Marine tugboat Thomas and barge WF-9 on June 5, 2010. They are presented without captions.

Continue to Steel Bridge…

Willamette River Bridges: Morrison Bridge

Morrison Bridge on June 10, 2007

The first Morrison Bridge was a wooden truss swing span bridge that was completed on April 12, 1887. It was Portland's first Willamette River bridge and was the longest bridge west of the Mississippi. The drawbridge was operated manually by two men on calm days or four men on windy days.

Morrison Bridge on June 10, 2007

The original Morrison Bridge was originally a toll bridge, charging for a one-way crossing 15¢ for a horse-drawn rig, 20¢ for a team of horses and 5¢ for a pedestrian. The bridge became toll free in 1895, putting the Stark Street Ferry out of business.

Morrison Bridge on June 10, 2007

The second Morrison Bridge was a swing bridge that was built in 1905.

Morrison Bridge on June 10, 2007

The current Morrison Bridge was completed on May 24, 1958.

Morrison Bridge on May 30, 2008

The bridge is the largest mechanical device in Oregon, with 36-foot tall gears driving 940-ton counterweights in the piers.

Morrison Bridge on May 30, 2008

The six-lane bridge includes a 284-foot draw span and two 238-foot steel deck truss spans.

Morrison Bridge on September 7, 2008

The bridge was named for John L. Morrison, a Scottish immigrant who built the first home on Morrison Street.

Bridge Type:	Chicago-style double-leaf bascule
Completed:	May 24, 1958
Designed by:	Sverdrup/Parcel, St. Louis, MO Moffat, Nichols & Taylor, Portland, OR
Substructure Construction:	Manson Construction & Engineering
Superstructure Construction:	American Bridge Division of the U.S. Steel Co.
Total Length:	760 feet
Draw Span Length:	284 feet
Width:	90 feet
Closed Vertical Clearance:	69 feet
Construction Cost:	$12.9 million
Owned by:	Multnomah County

Morrison Bridge Path Plaque on June 5, 2010

A separated path for bicycles and pedestrians was completed along the south side of the bridge in 2010. The dedication plaque for the Morrison Bridge Bicycle and Pedestrian Path is shown here. The path is dedicated in memory of Gary Michael Tipton, who was killed by a drunk driver while riding his bicycle across the Morrison Bridge in 1997, and Lynda Pilger, who was killed by a speeding driver while walking her dog on the Morrison Bridge in 2004.

Morrison Bridge & Portland Spirit on June 5, 2010

Continue to Burnside Bridge…