Hawthorne Bridge
connects SW Main/Madison on the west, SE Madison/Hawthorne on the east
Aah, the Hawthorne! This bridge is possibly Portlanders most-favorite bridge, and it’s at least the city’s most distinctive bridge. Many postcards feature the photogenic structure, and it can even draw big-time Hollywood directors to shoot crappy big-budget movies here (see The Hunted). Anyways…The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift span, and is the oldest vertical lift bridge in operation in the United States! Built in 1910, it’s the city’s oldest bridge but still does a lot of work. A major rehabilitation effort was undertaken in 1998–9, giving us the 10 foot wide sidewalks and green-and-red color scheme. The low clearance over the river means the drawbridge opens frequently, so it’s common to be stuck waiting for the bridge.
USERS: Automotive traffic, pedestrians, bicycles.
OWNER: Multnomah County
BICYCLE INFO: The Hawthorne is the city’s busiest bicycle bridge, with 1,500 bicycle crossings daily. The westside connects convieniently with Waterfront Park and the downtown grid, and the eastside connects to the Eastbank Esplanade and the Madison/Hawthorne bikelanes. Bicyclists must use the sidewalk (it’s not fun riding on a steel grid deck)
TECHNICAL INFO: Total length 1,382 ft (421m), consisting of five fixed spans and one 244 ft. long (74m) vertical lift span, clearance 49 ft (15m) above water
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