Burnside Bridge

My favorite and least scary bridge. The only one that doesn’t really induce some type of anxiety for me. It’s centrally located right down the middle of the city as the dividing line from South to North.
When the bridge is up, it’s not much of a wait until it goes back down. There are enough lanes that it doesn’t get too congested.
Entering the bridge from the East side now is slightly trickier with the Couch St couplet but does make for an easier traffic transition.
It’s a good bridge for walking, taking in scenery and getting good pictures. It’s likely you will encounter some type of vagrants or people waiting in line for their food at the Mission, but I’ve never personally felt threatened.
At least I know there aren’t jumpers on this bridge, confusing lanes, weird grates that make your car shake and it’s not too high up.

The bridge is attractive and historic and filled with lots of shady types and LOTS homeless on the sidewalk. Also on the plus side when you are driving across it has good views of downtown and the white stag one way and Mount hood and the east side going the other, When walking stay alert! just joking it is usually safe enough but as always in a downtown area pay attention to your surroundings.

The Burnside Bridge is a special part of Portland on the water.
You in an iconic fashion get the homeless and hipsters yelling things, the beauty, the ups and downs of its transportation and so on. It can be walked across and to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The view of the city has little peer.
Even the slow traffic at it’s worst is modest. I rarely mind taking TriMet buses across this majesty.
The Burnside Bridge is a welcome symbol of Portland.

I wanted to challenge myself and actually write a review. about a bridge…
Specifically the Burnside Bridge… why?
For me the Bridge signifies «I’m home» whether from work, a night out or out of town .
Built in 1926… the Bridge is named after some dude that thought it would be good to dredge the Willamette… The street was originally named B street until 1894.
Its operated automatically from another bridge unless water levels are high then its operated on site… fascinating huh?
So…lets get into my editorial about that the bridge is a true reflection of the mindset of Portland.
1) Often on the north side of Burnside right before the bridge dudes will set up free coffee juice and donuts for bike riders.
2) If you are navigating over the bridge making a right on second to get to Naito Parkway .your patience and vigilance is needed especially in the am… the flow of people coming out of the homeless mission, some a bit disoriented may put individuals in the middle of the street.
3) You can access the riverfront path for running directly off the bridge… I’m not a fan of heights and frankly that access staircase freaks me out a bit…
4) Even if the bridge is not raised traffic can back up especially on your evening drive headed eastside.
5) If you are driving and not from Portland… do not compete with the Bikers,.many whom are doing about 25 MPH .and maybe balancing a double shot espresso and a mobile device in each hand… or hauling a 25lb pack pack… embrace them… love them as equals
Hail to the Burnside Bridge… the true blue collar bridge over the mighty Willamette… and I promise not to write another review about a bridge… unless its has beer on it.

The first few PDX bridges built across the Willamette River were really quite architecturally unique with beautiful trusses spanning high above the deck: the Hawthorne Bridge (1910), Steel Bridge (1912), and Broadway Bridge (1913). But by 1926, it seems like they had given up on beauty and gave way to more utilitarian, practical motivations that led to the Burnside Bridge’s flat and less distinguished design. Even to this day it remains most plain bridge as its younger brother (the Morrison Bridge) is at least spruced up with colorful lights at night.
That being said it’s almost 90 years old, and after its recent renovation it gets the job done as good as any of its other up or downstream counterparts:
— It has 4 lanes for motor traffic,
— Wide and luxurious bike lanes & sidewalks,
— Relatively ornate railings and nice watch towers (it’s tempting to climb up to the lookout station but rest assured you’ll get a ticket for tresspassing),
— The West side provides rain cover for Max patrons beneath, and a place for the homeless to catch some shuteye above.
Given that it gives direct access to Voodoo Donuts, the Saturday Market, Powell’s Books, PGE Park (oops, I meant Jeld-​Wen Field), the NW District, and the West Hills (it’s sometimes your best option for crossing the hills when Highway 26 is at a standstill), most visitors will find it hard to get around the city without crossing the Burnside Bridge at least once.

You don’t need to pay for this ride, boys and girls, it’s FREE!
Crossing this behemoth on foot, bicycle, or in a motor vehicle beats the heck out of scrambling down the bank and swimming across the Willamette to get to the other side. Nice views of the city from the span, too.

Burnside Bridge (1926)
Not a pretty bridge but one that has been around for some time doing a good job when she needs too. I used to live near here and it was awesome to see how fast she could raise and lower herself for water traffic. It’s cool to see a large structure move like that. I always wanted to work the controls. That could be a fun job… For about 1 day. I think sitting up in the Control Tower might get a little boring though but fun at times. She sees more traffic during the Rose Festival when all the big ships come to port.

Burnside Bridge is nice looking bridge. As a bridge itself, I could not find any fault. Love those ornate towers and it’s history.
But I definitely advise not go walk across the bridge late at night or after dark alone. There are groups (100s) of homeless people camping out on the bridge near Salvation Army. One can say they are harmless, but just making a female traveller like me feel unsafe.
PS. My Unilocal friends never see me walk so fast while crossing this Bridge.

In and of itself, the Burnside Bridge is not as attractive as the many other Willamette River bridges we crossed or saw during our trip to Portland, having neither above or below design structures to make it look anything other than its straightforward, concrete self, a double-​leaf bascule bridge.
The pedestrian walkways on either side are akin to sidewalks next to the road traffic, and crossing Burnside is not much different than walking down a streetlamp-​lit road, but for the wonderful views of the Willamette River and Portland skyline over the fairly low stone railings, especially during our night crossing.
We walked from east to west. As we approached the west side, an old-​fashioned neon sign welcomed us to «Portland, Oregon, Old Town.» Toward that end, we also passed increasingly large numbers of a homeless population camped out on the pedestrian walkway, making the final stretch a less comfortable trek at that hour.
The bridge terminates in Old Town, becoming once again Burnside St, the dividing street between north and south Portland.

The Burnside Bridge (Est. May 28, 1926) is a bascule bridge with it’s deck made out of concrete.
Over the years I’ve lived in Portland, OR — I’ve learned that the Burnside Bridge or the Burnside street itself divides up the North from the South sides of the city.
Starting on the West end of the bridge, the Portland Saturday Market was originally held under the bridge (the market is now near the Tom McCall Waterfront area). Now this area is dedicated as a TriMet MAX stop-​line and it also happens to be an area where most of the homeless hang out since the food and shelter places are nearby. As you head towards East Burnside, it’s a bit nicer in the sense where there are less homeless hanging around.
FYI =
*Named after Dan Burnside (a local business man in the late 1860’s)
*Only Willamette River bridge designed with an architect’s input
*1990’s was named «Regional Emergency Transportation Route»
*1995 added bicycle lanes to the bridge
*2002 had a facelift and was «earthquake protected»
*Used to cross streetcars back in the 1950’s, those lanes were taken off by 2007
*2012 was added to the National Register of Historic Places
I’m usually driving on the Burnside Bridge when I’m headed to restaurants off of E Burnside (Le Pigeon, Sizzle Pie, EastBurn, etc.). I wouldn’t walk on this bridge because of the crazy homeless hanging out around here. But not too shabby for crossing to the other side of town!
PDX 30 Day Unilocal Challenge #27 of 30

I like the fact that this bridge allows me to cross the Willamette River without drowning or getting wet. Unless, of course, it’s raining, which is not the bridge’s fault. But, who am I kidding? Bridges get blamed for EVERYTHING these days.
But, I digress. The access to the Burnside Bridge from the east side got a bit of a makeover a couple of years ago, what with the whole Burnside-​Couch couplet that our TV-​famous former mayor approved, which afforded the Burnside its own on-​ramp art installation. I didn’t really think art was needed in that area before but now that whatever it is supposed to be is up, I’d have to say that it made the Burnside a little bit more mod. It’s now a hipster bridge.
Now, the west side access to the Burnside remains sketchy, what with the never-​going-​away population of urban campers that line either side. I make sure to hold my breath from the base of the bridge until about the point that’s aligned with the former White Stag sign. If I don’t, I’m accosted by the tell-​tale evidence of urine and sometimes defecation that have defined that section of the Burnside. It’s sad really, because, once again, it’s the Bridge that gets blamed.
Nevertheless, I think the Burnside Bridge is just A-​OK.

Hasn’t collapsed while I was crossing. Pretty much my main requirement for a bridge.
I did, however have the great luck of breaking down on the east side, a hundred feet or so after the turn from Grand. Since my tow truck driver (my car needs a flat bed truck) had his head up his ass and couldn’t figure out where I was after his last call, I ended up sitting there for well over two hours.
In that time, I got to enjoy some late summer sun on my face, lose a couple of rounds of WWF and generally take in people/​bike/​car watching while admiring the river and the west side. It really is an extraordinary view. Three cops stopped to check on me, they were are incredibly nice. Only asshole? A dude on a bike hollered «That’s a really bad place to stop!!» I chased him down and threw his fixie in the river. No, I didn’t but obvs the dude didn’t know I had hot fluid pouring down from under the dash, onto my flip flop covered feet — right before my car sputtered and stopped. Dick.
I will now end this review like I ended book reports in fifth grade:
«In conclusion, the bridge has both positive and negative features. The positives are that I can get across water, I like the neon sign, nice cops, and there are lots of nice views. The negatives are mean bicyclists. So the positives outweigh the negatives. Therefore, I think the bridge should be re-​named «The Simon LeBon Bridge.»

Great bridge for a walk. It has a beautiful view of the water and city.

The Burnside Bridge is A-​OK. It seems to function well, and even though it’s not much of a looker, it gets the job done. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of walking over this bridge numerous times, and it’s always pleasant, with plenty of decent views of the city’s more attractive bridges. I’ve also spent plenty of time cruising through in my auto as well. It’s actually much more pleasant on foot.
The downsides to this bridge are that there’s often traffic (when driving) and if you cross on the north side of the road coming from east to west you’re likely to run in to a mass of homeless folks chillin’ outside the shelter. I’d say that 75% of the time they’ll leave you alone, but if you’re not attuned to this aspect of urban living, choose the other side of the road.
As far as accessibility, utility and function, the Burnside Bridge serves well.

Beautiful views of the city from this bridge. Nice to walk across during the day, better to drive across at night.

How did I end up limping across this bridge late one rainy evening? The circumstances are too bizarre to recount here. Lets just say I’ll never walk the span of the Burnside Bridge at dusk again – at least not without a flak jacket and a sawed-​off shotgun. This bridge looks good from a distance, but up close and personal is a different story. As soon as the sun starts going down, this concrete monster is transformed into something straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft story. *shudder*
My least favorite bridge in Portland.

In Portland it’s easy to take a bridge walk and I’ve taken 4 over my several trips to the Rose City. Here are my stories…(Cue the Law and Order Clang).
The Burnside Bridge is a double-​leaf «Strauss style» bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River and was opened in 1926. Including approaches, the Burnside has a total length of 2,308 ft and a 251 ft center span. While lowered this span is normally 64 ft above the river. The deck is made of concrete, which contributes to its being one of the heaviest bascule bridges in the United States. The counterweights, housed inside the two piers, weigh 1,700 short tons and the lifting is normally controlled by the Hawthorne Bridge operator.
In 1891, Burnside Street was changed from «B» street to take the name of Dan Burnside, a local businessman who was a proponent of the 1866 dredging of the Willamette River. The original Burnside Bridge was a swing span bridge that opened in 1894. It is the only Willamette River bridge in Portland that was designed with input from an architect. This led to the Italian Renaissance towers and decorative metal railings.
On my last trip, I was part of an early morning fun run and saw those twin concrete slabs rise and fall for the first time. Way cool. Less cool is is the some of the urban wildlife present under and around the Burnside Bridge, at least on the West Side. On the top side, you can walk, bike, or take the bus across.

One of the many bridges in Portland. What is cool here are the two old towers on this drawbridge. Easy to walk up to from the Saturday market (which is also good to check out).

Snow drifts as high as the railings and the MAX shut down for ice made for an unceremonious crossing of Burnside Bridge early winter morning in 2004 to get to work. My normal lightrail view of the city at daybreak crossing the Steel Bridge had nothing on the brisk windswept outing I endured that day. Not a pleasant stroll even on nice days.
I respected and loved this bridge even more because of it but found the warehouse cold and desolate. I guess all the other drivers had taken the hint of many inches of snowfall on top of ice to call the day off.
I can appreciate more fully now the new vantage looking out from studio. I give thanks and further pause to appreciate this concrete behemoth and the less than fortunate folks who cross it.

Neither North, South, East, or West the Burnside Bridge is the true center of Bridgetown.
Day labor on the east end, controversial sign and rescue mission on the other.
Love the Italian renaissance towers and decorative railing (both the result of architectural consultation).
First learned of this bridge playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and later rediscovered it at Saturday Market.
My winner for coolest PDX bridge name. Come on, say it. Burnside Bridge. Yeah, I don’t know, I just like it.
Visuals:http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LORbKG74­FxOLuzCrqnzL8A?select=HNkbPF3vnDp9G2GSQVFR5A