Hawthorne Bridge

Beautiful bridge… do I drive on the inside or do I drive on the outside? I hate waiting on the bridge to raise and lower… especially for a single sail boat… oh well… kill the engine and just chill. enjoy that Portland air…

So some awesome pictures. Got lucky and had the chance for a tour due to an Engineering class I’m in. Pretty cool man, those red concrete blocks are 2 million pounds EACH.

This bridge is just OK. The metal grating leaves much to be desired and sometimes I get caught on one side as it raises for taller water crafts because the clearance is TOO LOW. Can’t Portland build taller bridges? Also, no wifi.

The Hawthorne Bridge connects Hawthorne Boulevard on the eastside with what is around Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
It is a beautiful bridge that is well-​respected for a reason. You can see the water and the city. It zooms you between points quickly and with little hassle.
This bridge allows pedestrians and cyclists.
You can really enjoy this for the soft, contemplative feel that we’re known for.

I really like this bridge. It is the most southern of downtown’s many bridges. It enjoy the nice views especially when you cross it on foot (warning watch out for the bike riders), It is part of Portland’s great river loop where you walk Tom McCall park on one side and the Vera Katz esplanade on the other crossing this bride and the Steel (I love this walk with its informative signs)!
The bridge is a historic one, with a lift section where the entire middle lifts up to let boats pass underneath. Check out the fire station down from the east side it has not only trucks but also boats.

By far my favorite bridge in all of Portland.
Built at a time when motorcars were just emerging, the scale of the structure and detailing of the components feel appropriate and as you walk along its length. Unlike its neighbors to both the north and to the south, the Hawthorne Bridge carries you across at just above riverbank height, maintaining a connection to the water below. The low clearance makes for more frequent lifts as boats pass by, but hey, just relax and enjoy the view!
Its pedestrian walkway is continuous and safe, and lacks only a real separation from the numerous bicyclists that share the same space. At either end are several connections to wherever you’re going. At its lift span in the center are two magnificent towers with barn-​red concrete weights at the tops.
If you’re lucky, you can catch ‘Breakfast on Bridges’, between 7am and 9am on the last Friday of the month. This Portland institution is for the bicycle commuters making their way downtown and offers coffee and doughnuts.

Hawthorne Bridge is one of the numerous bridges connecting to downtown Portland. In this case, it connects downtown with Hawthorne Boulevard and the Central Eastside Industrial District which is one of the hot spots for breweries in town.
The bridge is a historical landmark and architectural marvel. It has got great views towards the south and the north along with a view of the downtown Portland waterfront. Buses and cars cross the bridge while on the sidewalk you will see lanes for pedestrians and bikers. It is a popular bridge to cross (busiest bicycle and transit bridge in Oregon), so pay attention to your surroundings when doing so.
If you are new to Portland or visiting for the first time, walking across the Hawthorne Bridge makes for a nice stroll particularly in the evening at around sunset with the many lights surrounding the structure and in the distance.

As a cyclist, I love that there are designated areas for cyclists and pedestrians, yet some people ignore that. Although, compared to a bridge like Golden Gate, more people follow the signs that not. Keep to the water if you have legs. Keep to the road if you have wheels. Or just pay attention to the traffic on the bridge…
Anyways, this is a beautifully maintained bridge. Gotta walk it or ride it if you are in the area!

The Hawthorne Bridge: It’s beautiful architecture and critical function as the southern-​most bike/​pedestrian bridge linking the East and Westside waterfront esplanades make it an iconic stalwart in countless paintings and photos of the Bridge City waterfront.
As an east-​bound driver be very careful with the bike/​pedestrian lanes as the cross the right lane of traffic at on/​off-​ramps!!!

One of my favorite bridges in Portland.
I love (but also sort of hate) driving here because it’s just so pretty. The architecture is gorgeous and nice views of the Willamette River ain’t bad either. Sort of hate driving there because the lanes are so narrow (still trying to get used to the narrow roads here in Portland after years of driving in wide roads in Vegas) and the grinding sounds still kinda scares me a bit, although I am slowly getting used to it. But not the narrowness though.
It’s also a nice bridge to walk on since the pedestrian lanes are wider (although you do have to share with the bicyclists). Again, you get the gorgeous views, and it’s especially great when you’re trying to watch the fireworks display during 4^th of July.
I honestly don’t mind taking a longer route sometimes if it means I get to drive on (and admire) the Hawthorne Bridge.

It’s a bridge.

A couple of days ago, I was headed southbound on I-​5 and just getting ready to go up and over the Marquam Bridge when I looked to the left. A pile of rubble stood where I used to park my car for really cheap back in the olden days and walk over the Hawthorne Bridge to work in downtown Portland.
All of this brought back memories of it being an awesome experience walking over the bridge and getting the eye-​level vision of the city and the river, but it was always a white knuckler as well because I’m not all that crazy about crossing bridges (as I have mentioned in other reviews of bridges). However, I saved so much money parking and walking over that it helped me take a deep breath and get hoofing.
I’ve never liked driving over or walking near the grated portion of the Hawthorne Bridge, but the worst part of all was the morning I had to stop to wait for the bridge to raise for a tall sail boat passing underneath. This was the stuff of childhood nightmares, but awesome to watch close up as well. I had to hold very tight to the bridge railing and take a lot of deep breaths. These really are the only two reasons I’m taking one star off for this bridge. Otherwise, I love that it’s another part of my own Portland history, and that I know it’s home every time I see the good old Hawthorne Bridge.

Hawthorne Bridge (1910)
Since the Hawthorne Bridge was upgraded a few years back, It has become an old school looking new touches bridge that has not lost it’s charm. So many things get taken down for a couple parking spots. (Yes i am referring to the «Gate» of the Gateway Area. Still kinda peeved about that one!) It has wider Sidewalks and was Repaved, Earthquake proofed, New Paint. The works. I like how she stands out amongst some of the other «modern» bridges. Early morning is a good time to walk her wide sidewalk. On July 4^th they close her down so All Of Portlandia can enjoy her beauty while we enjoy a Grand Fireworks Display. One of the best in the United States.

The Hawthorne Bridge (est. December 19, 1910) is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that crosses over the Willamette River. The Hawthorne Bridge is one of the many bridges in Portland, OR!
According to Wiki, the term «truss» is a structure of connected elements forming triangular units. (Thanks Wiki for the definition!)
HISTORY
The Hawthorne Bridge wasn’t really the «Hawthorne Bridge» as we now know it. This bridge actually replaced Madison Bridge No. 1 (1890) & Madison Bridge No. 2 (1900) due to a fire. Later, the bridge was named after Dr. J.C. Hawthorne (who happens to be the co-​founder of Portland’s first mental hospital and mentor for the Morrison Bridge; a neighboring bridge to the Hawthorne Bridge)
Since it’s debut, the Hawthorne Bridge has undergone many, extensive renovations!
* 1945: added steel grating
* 1985: replaced the lift’s cables
* 1988 – 1989: steel grating was replaced, sidewalks widened, streetcar rails were removed (old lightrail system stopped passing through here in 1956)
* 2001: linked sidewalk to Eastbank Esplanade
DIRTS =
— Since it’s a vertical lift, they gotta stop traffic to let the ships/​boats pass through for a couple of minutes you can be chillaxing in your car for approximately 10 minutes
— Busiest transit bridge in PDX (bicyclists, cars, and busses)
FYI =
* Oldest vertical lift that is still working in the U.S.
* Nov 2012: also added to the National Register of Historic Places
* Bridge designed by Waddel & Harrington (also designed Interstate & Steel bridges in Portland)
* Lift designed by Waddel
* Movie: «The Hunted» was filmed here (2003)
I’m usually crossing the Hawthorne Bridge if I’m headed home from SE Portland to Hillsburrito. Sometimes its nice to drive over the steel grating, but sometimes I can feel a bit paranoid since it’s right near the edge! There have been times where I sat sitting on the steel grating waiting for the lift to come down so I can cross. But that gives me time to «check-​in» to the bridge *hehe*. Nonetheless, this is a busy bridge and glad that it’s been staying strong since 1910!
PDX 30 Day Unilocal Challenge #28 of 30

Of the four bridges we crossed while visiting Portland, whether on foot or vehicle, the Hawthorne Bridge was certainly the most beautiful. This green-​hued steel bridge has raised, wide lanes for shared bicycle and pedestrian traffic along the outer bridge, with two westbound and two eastbound lanes in the center. The steel truss only encompasses the innermost two lanes. It is also a vertical lift bridge, and apparently a frequently used one at that.
Starting off a pedestrian ramp from Tom McCall Waterfront Park, we first encountered a bike counter at the west end. Hawthorne was a nice walk, the walkway spacious and open. In the early afternoon, it was also uncrowded. Once over to the East side, one can get off the highway via stairs that drop down to SE Madison St, or a bus stop, or walking a few blocks until the highway merges to street level at SE Grand Ave.
Easily walkable and very pretty, Hawthorne is a great pedestrian bridge.

I adore this bridge so much it drives me a little insane. Which is appropriate since it was named for the co-​founder of Oregon’s first mental hospital [1]. Did you know Hawthorne Blvd. was originally named Asylum Avenue?
For me the bridge is bittersweet and every time I see it I smile and tear up a little bit. When I travel and am feeling homesick, it is the image I associate with Portland and my love of the city.
This time of year, I’m downtown several times a week rowing on the Willamette River. We start by heading upriver to John’s Landing. On our return trip to the Riverplace Marina, I eagerly look for the bridge on the horizon as the sun goes down and the lights come up in the city. My arms are burning, my chest is heaving, but it is there to welcome me back.
It is the bridge I take to visit dear friends who live just off Hawthorne by some of my favorite bars and restaurants in the city. It is part of my favorite walk in town (start by crossing the Steel Bridge, walk along the Eastbank Esplanade, then return on the Hawthorne). I’ve biked across the span as part of the Bridge Pedal and run across it on various 5 and 10k races through downtown.
Hawthorne was also the name of a beautiful and wonderful woman who passed far too early from this life. So the bridge is so much more than a bridge to me. It is a talisman. It brings me strength and protects me on my journeys as I discover Portland. It is a reminder to me to live your best life every day. Keep your eyes and heart open and sometimes magic happens. The best we can do is to live and ultimately die with humor, grace and letting your unique spirit fly.
It is Portland’s bridge. It is my bridge. It is home.
[1]

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 Hawthorne Bridge (built in 1910) is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River. It joins Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street and is the oldest vertical-​lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland. It is also the busiest bicycle and transit bridge in Oregon, with over 4,800 cyclists and 800 TriMet buses daily.
The bridge consists of five fixed spans and one 244 ft long vertical-​lift span. It is 1,382 feet in total length. The 880,000 pound counterweights are suspended from the two 165 ft tall towers. While the river is at low level the bridge is 49 feet above the water, causing it to be raised an average of 200 times per month. The bridge was designed by John Waddell, inventor of the vertical-​lift bridge and also designer of the Steel and Interstate bridges.
The current bridge was built to replace Madison Bridge No. 1 (1891) and Madison Bridge No. 2 (1900), which was destroyed by a fire in 1902. Hawthorne Boulevard (and thus the bridge) was named after Dr. J.C. Hawthorne, the cofounder of Oregon’s first mental hospital and early proponent for the first Morrison Bridge.
This was the Bridge that I ran across last week during a Convention-​sponsored fun run. But when you consider my «advanced» age and the fact that I haven’t run in years, my legs were having even more «fun» later. Yet it was a great morning, I loved the sights on the Bridge and on both sides and I hope to do it again.