Blue Bridge (Reed College)
| Blue Bridge | |
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The north end of the bridge in 2012
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| Coordinates | 45°28′55″N 122°37′49″W / 45.48184°N 122.63037°WCoordinates: 45°28′55″N 122°37′49″W / 45.48184°N 122.63037°W |
| Carries |
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| Crosses | Reed Lake |
| Locale | Reed College, Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Other name(s) | Cross Canyon Bridge |
| Owner | Reed College |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | 4,000 pounds per square inch concrete with 60 grade steel reinforcement |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership |
| Construction end | 1992 |
| Construction cost | $545,000 (est.) |
| Replaces | Arthur M. Churchill Memorial Bridge |
 Blue Bridge
Location on the Reed College campus
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 "Canyon bridge, 1937"
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Aerial view of the Canyon Lake, looking eastward, May 21, 2009 by Bruce Forster, Reed College Centennial Archives |
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Aerial view of the Canyon Lake, May 21, 2009 by Bruce Forster, Reed College Centennial Archives |
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Canyon bridge, 1991, Reed College Centennial Archives |
The Blue Bridge, also known as the Cross Canyon Bridge, is a curved pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the north and south halves of the Reed College campus in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The bridge crosses Reed Lake, located within the 28-acre watershed on campus known as the "canyon"; this includes part of the course of Crystal Springs Creek, a tributary of Johnson Creek. The Blue Bridge, completed in 1992, marks the third in a series of bridges that have been commonly referred to as the "cross canyon bridges", signifying their function on campus.
The Blue Bridge replaced the Arthur M. Churchill Memorial Bridge, completed in 1959 as a replacement for a flat wooden bridge constructed in the 1930s. The unique design of the Churchill Memorial Bridge, which was supported by two cantilevers of pre-stressed plywood and covered with a thin canvas membrane, made it the only one of its kind in the world. The canvas membrane was later determined to be too slippery. Replacement of the Churchill Memorial Bridge arose from the Campus Facilities Master Plan, adopted by the City of Portland in 1990. From the designs offered by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership (now known as ZGF Architects LLP), the Canyon Committee chose a concrete structure, benefits of which included a longer lifespan, lower maintenance costs and the least environmental damage to the canyon during construction.
The Blue Bridge received the award for "Excellence in Concrete" from the American Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association. Known for its aesthetics, the bridge is often pictured in catalogs and displays to attract students to the campus. It has served as a meeting place and has been cited as a favorite location on campus by students and faculty. The bridge was featured in the films Feast of Love (2007) and Blue Like Jazz (2012).
In the 1930s, a flat wooden bridge was constructed to allow people to cross the lake. Excavation on the north side of the lake began in 1957 to accommodate the construction of new dormitories. After more than a year's research by an architectural firm and a plywood company, the wooden bridge was replaced in 1959 by the "first official canyon bridge", the Arthur M. Churchill Memorial Bridge. The bridge, more commonly referred to as the Cross Canyon Bridge, was designed by the architectural firm Farnham, Shell & Hoyt and was dedicated in 1958 along with the newly completed dormitories. The bridge was supported by two cantilevers of pre-stressed plywood and was covered with a thin canvas membrane. It was 132 feet (40 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) feet high, with stairs at each end. Its unique design made the bridge the only one of its kind in the world. The canvas membrane was later determined to be too slippery.
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Wikipedia