Ross Island Bridge
| Ross Island Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | 45°30′04″N 122°39′52″W / 45.50121°N 122.66454°WCoordinates: 45°30′04″N 122°39′52″W / 45.50121°N 122.66454°W |
| Carries |
 US 26
|
| Crosses | Willamette River |
| Locale | Portland, Oregon |
| Official name | Ross Island Bridge |
| Maintained by | ODOT |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever deck truss |
| Total length | 3,729 |
| Longest span | 535 ft |
| History | |
| Opened | December 21, 1926 |
The Ross Island Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. It carries U.S. Route 26 (Mount Hood Highway) across the river between southwest and southeast Portland. The bridge opened in 1926 and was designed by Gustav Lindenthal and honors Oregon pioneer Sherry Ross. It is named for its proximity to Ross Island. Although it looks like a deck arch bridge, it is a cantilever deck truss bridge, a rare type in Oregon.
The bridge was part of the unprecedented period of bridge building in Portland during the 1920s. It was opened on December 21, 1926, and cost $2 million to construct. The bridge was designed by famed engineer Gustav Lindenthal.
The bridge is named for its location close to Ross Island, an island in the Willamette River which measures about one-and-a-half by one miles. The bridge is about 800 feet (250 m) north of the island and does not connect with, nor does it provide access to, Ross Island. There is a pedestrian walkway on the north side of the bridge, with no barrier between the sidewalk and the westbound right lane.
The bridge's girders were originally painted black, but in 1955–56 they were repainted green. In 1961, Portland architect Lewis Crutcher suggested repainting all of Portland's downtown-area bridges from black into different colors, and the proposal also included changing the Ross Island Bridge's color to blue. The proposal was approved by the Multnomah County Commission, and repainting of the Ross Island Bridge was carried out in the summer of 1965. The bridge's color remains blue today, specifically "phthalo blue".
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