The Broadway Bridge is a double-leaf Rall type bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. It was the first bascule bridge built in Portland and the longest in the world at the time of its completion. It is the longest Rall type bascule bridge still in existence. Download high resolution version (900x307, 131 KB)The Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon taken from the Steel Bridge to the southwest. ... Tower Bridge, a double leaf bascule, opening A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or leaf, throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic. ... The Willamette River (pronounced wil-LAM-met) is a tributary of the Columbia, approximately 240 mi (386 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Portland skyline. ...

The bridge was opened on April 22, 1913 at a cost of $1.6 million. It filled a growing need for a bridge between the St. Johns Bridge at river mile 5.8, and the downtown Steel Bridge at river mile 12.1. Because it was to be the world's largest bascule bridge, there was competition between the patent holders of the Strauss, Scherzer, and Rall type bridges. The Rall type was selected for the Broadway Bridge because of cost, but the more complicated rolling lift mechanisms of the Scherzer and Rall types eventually lost favor to the simpler fixed trunnion bascules such as the Chicago and Strauss. 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The St. ... The lower deck of the Steel Bridge is raised to let the sternwheeler Rose pass. ...

In 1948 the concrete deck was replaced with steel grating. During 1982 access for bicyclists was improved by an $18,000 signal and sidewalk upgrade. The Lovejoy Viaduct was removed in 1999 as part of the $10 million construction of the shorter Lovejoy Ramp that opened in September of 2001. A $26.3 million renovation began in February of 2003. Included in this was the replacement of steel grating with a Fiber-reinforced polymer composite material called DuraSpan, made by Martin Marietta Materials. The renovation is expected to be completed in February of 2005. 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) is a composite material comprising a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres usually of glass, carbon, or aramid and is commonly used in aerospace, automotive and marine industries. ... Martin Marietta Materials is in the aggregate, chemical, and composite material business. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

The total length of the bridge is 1,613 ft. The main span is 278 ft. long and 70 ft. above low river levels. It carries two lanes of vehicle traffic in each direction and has an 11 ft. wide sidewalk on each end. As of 2000 the bridge carried 33,000 vehicles per day and opens for river traffic around 25 times per month. Its color is "Golden Gate" red. 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Oregon Department of Transportation: Broadway Bridge (http://www.odot.state.or.us/eshtm/textbroadway.htm)
• Muntnomah County: Broadway Bridge (http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/LUT/bridges/broadway_bridge/index.shtml)
• Multnomah County: Broadway Bridge operation (http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/LUT/bridges/bridge_operations/bascule/rall/rall_bascule_brdg_ops.shtml)
• Multnomah County: Broadway Bridge maintenance forecast (http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/LUT/bridges/broadway_bridge/broaneed.shtml)

Books

Wood, Sharon. The Portland Bridge Book. Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 2001. ISBN 0-87595-211-9.