Morrison Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Official name | Morrison Bridge |
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| Crosses | Willamette River |
| Locale | Portland, Oregon |
| Maintained by | Multnomah County |
| ID number | 02758 |
| Design | double-leaf "Chicago style" bascule |
| Longest span | 284 feet |
| Total length | 760 feet (236.1 m) |
| Width | 90 feet (27.4 m) |
| Clearance below | 69 feet closed |
| Opening date | May 24, 1958 (Replaced 1887 and 1905 bridges) |
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The Morrison Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.
The original Morrison bridge was a wooden truss swing span bridge completed on April 12, 1887 as the first Willamette River bridge in Portland and the longest bridge west of the Mississippi River. It was first a toll bridge (rates: horse drawn rig - US$0.15, team of horses - $0.20, pedestrian - $0.05) but went toll free in 1895. The second Morrison was another swing bridge that was built in 1905. It was not designed for automobiles and the 1958 replacement was long overdue.
The present bridge was built by Multnomah County. It was completed on May 24, 1958 at a cost of $12.9 million. In 1961, Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 ramps were added. The steel grating on the bascule deck is scheduled for replacement sometime in the near future. Access for bicycles and pedestrians will be improved in a $1.75 million project scheduled for 2008. Multnomah County estimates a major seismic upgrade around 2020.
The total length of the bridge is 760 feet with a 284 ft draw span. The bridge is one of the largest mechanical structures in Oregon. 36 ft. tall gears drive 940 ton counterweights located inside each of the piers. The 69 ft. clearance limits openings to about 30 times a month. It currently carries 50,000 vehicles daily on six lanes. The canted windows of the control tower give the distinctive look of air traffic control towers. It is named after John L. Morrison, a Scottish immigrant who built the first home on Morrison street. The current bridge does not connect to Morrison Street because the second bridge was left in operation while the latest version was built.
[edit] External links
[edit] Books
Wood, Sharon: The Portland Bridge Book, Portland, Oregon Historical Society, 2001. ISBN 0-87595-211-9.
| Bridges in the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon See also: Transportation in Portland | |
| Across the Willamette River (north to south)
St. Johns Bridge - Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1 - Fremont Bridge - Broadway Bridge - Steel Bridge - Burnside Bridge - Morrison Bridge - Hawthorne Bridge - Marquam Bridge - Ross Island Bridge - Sellwood Bridge - Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge - Abernethy Bridge - Oregon City Bridge |
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| Across the Columbia River (west to east)
Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 9.6 - Interstate Bridge - Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge |
| Crossings of the Willamette River | |||
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| Upstream Hawthorne Bridge |
Morrison Bridge |
Downstream Burnside Bridge |
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