HISTORIC HIGHWAY BRIDGES OF OREGON

St. John's Bridge (1931), Willamette River, Portland, Multnomah County

GUIDE TO THE BRIDGE PHOTO-DESCRIPTION PAGES

Bridge Photo:
The bridge photographs, with only two exceptions, are current views taken in conjunction with the historic bridges study. The exceptions are the photographs of the Yaquina Bay (Newport) Bridge, taken about 1975, and the Oswego Creek Bridge, 1980.

Bridge Name:
Bridges are frequently identified by several names. In an attempt to minimize the confusion, a standardized naming approach was used in the study. The bridge is formally named for the waterway or other feature it crosses, with appropriate other common names in parenthesis. In addition to the waterway crossed, bridges are sometimes named for their locality, geographic features, roadway or street carried, pioneer families, important persons, and so on. Viaducts and over/undercrossings usually carry the name of the roadway, but some are also named for the locality. (Note: the index at the end of the document cross-references all of the names of each bridge.)

Structure Number:
This identification is usually the number assigned to the bridge by the ODOT and is not necessarily the number used by the cities or counties. Some bridges are unnumbered, and for others, the numbers are unknown.

Roadway:
The state highway, county road, or city street carried by the bridge is shown on this line. The milepoint (M.P.) of the bridge is indicated on state highways and other highways and roads where known. The state highway numbers used in this document are not the familiar state or national route designation. The state highway numbers used in this document are shown on the following pages.

Location:
This reference indicates the city, community, or vicinity location of the bridge, followed by the county. Some bridges connect two cities, counties, and/or states, and this is so indicated. (Refer to the location information in Appendix C.)

Construction Date:
The construction date refers to the year when the bridge was fully completed and opened to service. (This date may not always agree with bridge plaques or other bridge records which show dedication dates or the major year when construction was underway.)

Material and Type:
The basic material and structural type of the main or center span are indicated in this area. Specific truss types, if appropriate, are included in parenthesis. (Refer to Appendix D.)

Ownership:
The owner is shown on this line. Unless otherwise indicated, the "State of Oregon" refers to structures under the ownership and maintenance authority of the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Narrative:
A short narrative provides descriptive information about the bridge, its history, and significance.

STATE HIGHWAY NUMBERS

The highway numbers on the photo-description pages are those used by the Oregon Department of Transportation and are not the state or federal route numbers, commonly recognized by the public. The guide below shows the highway numbers, highway names and route numbers. Highway route numbers may traverse the highways in entirety or only in part. A route common with another for less than one mile is not shown. All of the state highways are not listed, only those mentioned in this report.