PORTLAND BRIDGES – 1971

Every city with a river have one thing in common: bridges.

Portland bridges crisscross the Willamette River over and over to keep traffic moving.

There’s more of them today than 1971, not to mention upgrades.

The 405 is more of river of cars, and like every river it needs bridges to keep the city moving.

In this abstract, which is quick way of spelling poor photography manipulation, you can see the bridges spanning the road.

 

 

How it looked in 1967:

 

The same shot with a little clarity:

 

 

People with vision, sometimes called visionaries, see possibilities and work to make them reality, like Portland bridges.

But how is anyone supposed to learn anything? Start with a map:

 

 

Willamette River Bridges

Portland bridges from the bottom of the picture: Hawthorne, Morrison, Burnside, with the Steel Bridge at the top corner with the railroad traffic.

The Morrison Bridge comes straight out of downtown with a stage left exit to I-5 North and I-84 East for a fast getaway.

The Hawthorne was my most crossed, but the black Steel carries the trains.

Looking north with the orange Broadway Bridge in the background.

 

 

 

This looks like the Morrison with the Hawthorne behind it. Why?

Because the land on the right rises more than the flats of the Eastside.

That could be Ross Island Bridge underworks in there, too, with the Marquam on top.

 

 

Drive to Portland from the south with plans to keep going up? You’ll cross the Marquam on the right.

Do it today and you won’t recognize the landscape.

 

 

The city, every city, evolves and changes.

If not, they shrink and die.

 

But Memories Remain

This is the Broadway Bridge at center right.

NW Broadway is the first left turn driving top to bottom after crossing over the river and Front Avenue.

Go straight and you’re on the old elevated on-ramp.

Not any more.

 

The ramp off the Broadway turns into NW Lovejoy where young people worked, and lived, and made lives together.

My girlfriend made that walk from NW 21st to Old Town Pizza and back.

Then we got married and kept going.

We’re still going.

 

PS:

A life review is always a good idea. So is a city review.

Do a self-check: Are you who you think you are, or are you swayed by opinion?

Do you complain without working for change?

 

PSS:

Do you apologize whether you think one is warranted, or not?

Learn how.