Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1 (aka St Johns Railroad Bridge)
on the Willamette River about one mile south of the St Johns Bridge
This bridge was built in 1908 to complete the then Northern Pacific (now part of Burlington Northern Santa Fe) mainline north to Seattle. At the time it was a swing bridge, meaning that the center span would “swing” open to allow for boat traffic. Even though it was the longest swing span in the world, modern maritime needs led to the spans’ obsolescence, and in 1989 the bridge was retrofitted with a vertical lift span. The twin towers can be seen for miles around.
USAGE: Freight trains (BNSF, UP), Amtrak
OWNERSHIP: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
BICYCLE INFO: No bikes!
TECHNICAL INFO: 516 ft (157m) long lift span, vertical clearance 200 ft (61m), fourth highest lift bridge in the world.
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