List of bridges in Portland, Oregon facts for kids

Broadway Bridge over the Willamette River

Welcome to Portland, Oregon! This amazing city is famous for its many bridges. You might even hear people call Portland "Bridge City" or "Bridgetown." That's because it has so many cool bridges crossing different rivers, roads, and even canyons.

Most of Portland's famous bridges cross the Willamette River. There are 12 bridges just over the Willamette! Only two main road bridges cross the huge Columbia River. Other bridges go over smaller roads or natural features. For example, Interstate 5 uses the Marquam Bridge to cross the Willamette and the Interstate Bridge to cross the Columbia.

Exploring Portland's Bridges

Portland's bridges are super important for getting around. They help cars, trains, bikes, and people move easily across the city's waterways. Each bridge has its own unique design and history.

Bridges Over the Columbia River

The Columbia River is a very large river that forms part of the border between Oregon and Washington. Here are some of the bridges that cross it near Portland.

Name	Image	Opened	Type	What it Carries
Oregon Slough Railroad Bridge	Silver metal bridge	1908	Swing bridge	BNSF Railway trains
Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 9.6	Silver steel swingspan bridge with span turned	1908	Swing bridge	BNSF Railway trains
Interstate Bridge	Green steel lift-span bridge with lift span raised	1917	Truss with lift span	Interstate 5 traffic
Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge	Concrete bridge curved over water	1982	Segmental bridge	Interstate 205 traffic

Bridges Over the Willamette River

The Willamette River flows right through the heart of Portland. Many of the city's most famous bridges cross this river. Some of these bridges can even move to let boats pass!

Name	Image	Opened	Type	What it Carries
St. Johns Bridge	Green metal bridge	1931	Suspension bridge	US Route 30 Bypass
Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1	Brown metal bridge with midsection raised	1908	Vertical-lift bridge	BNSF Railway trains
Fremont Bridge	Pale green metal arched bridge	1973	Tied-arch bridge	Interstate 405 and US Route 30
Broadway Bridge	Red metal bridge with draw bridge section raised	1913	Bascule bridge	Broadway Street and Portland Streetcar
Steel Bridge	Black metal bridge	1912	Double vertical-lift span	Union Pacific Railway, Amtrak, MAX Light Rail, Glisan Street, Interstate Avenue
Burnside Bridge	Concrete and metal bridge with lift open	1926	Bascule bridge	Burnside Street
Morrison Bridge	Concrete and metal bridge at night	1958	Bascule bridge	Morrison Street
Hawthorne Bridge	Green metal bridge with lift rising	1910	Vertical-lift bridge	Hawthorne Boulevard
Marquam Bridge	Gray steel bridge	1966	Cantilever truss bridge	Interstate 5 traffic
Tilikum Crossing	Concrete bridge at night	2015	Cable-stayed bridge	MAX Orange Line, buses, Portland Streetcar
Ross Island Bridge	Metal arched bridge	1926	Cantilever deck truss	US Route 26 (Powell Boulevard)
Sellwood Bridge	Concrete and brown metal bridge	2016	Deck arch bridge	Tacoma Street

Other Interesting Bridges

Besides the big river crossings, Portland has other cool bridges. These bridges cross smaller creeks, roads, or even connect parts of college campuses.

Name	Image	Opened	Type	What it Carries
Blue Bridge	Footbridge	1992	Footbridge	Pedestrians and bicycles
Blumenauer Bridge	Footbridge	2022	Tied arch bridge	Pedestrians and bicycles
Bybee Bridge	Bridge deck	1911	Road bridge	Bybee Boulevard
Cedar Crossing Bridge	Wooden covered bridge	1982	Covered bridge	Deardorff Road
Eastbank Esplanade	Floating bridge	2001	Pontoon bridge	Pedestrians and bicycles
Ned Flanders Crossing	Side of pedestrian bridge over freeway	2021	Pedestrian bridge	Pedestrians and bicycles
Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge	End of bridge	2012	Pedestrian bridge	Pedestrians and bicycles
Vista Bridge	Arch bridge at night from below	1926	Concrete arch bridge	Vista Avenue
Barbara Walker Crossing	View across pedestrian bridge from its north end	2019	Trichord truss bridge	Pedestrians and bicycles

Former Bridges

Some bridges in Portland are no longer standing. One example is the Madison Street Bridge.