Pdxguide

The St Johns bridge is Portland’s only suspension bridge, and not often seen by the casual visitor (it is about six miles from downtown). Opened in 1931, at the time it was the longest suspension bridge west of Detroit (other bridges have surpassed its size since then, most notably the Golden Gate Bridge). Painted green, the bridge tends to blend in against the West Hills. It’s a quite beautiful bridge and a symbol of pride for the St Johns neighborhood. The gothic arched towers and eastside support beams lended the name Cathedral Park to the greenspace and neighborhood below.

USAGE: Automotive traffic, pedestrians, bicycles

OWNER: State of Oregon

BICYCLE INFO: The St. Johns is a highly un-bikeable bridge. Bicycles must use a narrow sidewalk (after construction is done), the westside approach is steep and bicyclists must ride on a busy street. Since the bridge is a high one, going over it means making a big climb in elevation from the east. There was hope that during the current bridge work the bicycle situation would be improved, but the pleas from bicycle advocates fell on deaf ears at ODOT. Thankfully, the St Johns Bridge doesn’t fulfil a vital bicycle link for in-town transit, but does come in useful for accessing Sauvie Island from the eastside.

TECHNICAL INFO: Two Gothic towers 408 ft tall (124 m), 1207 ft (368 m) center span 205 feet (62 m) above the Willamette River. Total length 2,067 feet (630 m)