If you've ever seen that iconic white "Portland Oregon" stag sign glowing over the river in photos, chances are you were looking straight at the soul of the Burnside Bridge. This isn't just a crossing it's a front-row seat to the city's personality, grit and all. Roll through it by car, catch a glimpse from above, or better yet, walk it. Because underneath its steel bones lies the legendary Burnside Skatepark a raw, living piece of Portland culture. It's the underbelly, sure, but it's also the heartbeat. Skaters carving lines, the hum of traffic overhead, the Willamette flowing steady beside it ...it all blends into something uniquely Portland. Now let's talk about that stag sign. That's your Kodak moment right there. But here's the move: skip parking right in the thick of downtown if you're not feeling the chaos. It can get a little rowdy, a little unpredictable. Instead, park across the river, take the scenic approach, and walk your way in. Trust me it builds the moment. The reveal hits different when you earn it. And if you're feeling a little romantic? This bridge will meet you halfway. Catch it at dusk when the lights flicker on and the city softens just enough. Where you stand matters every angle tells a different story. One side gives you skyline glow, the other gives you street-level truth. The Burnside Bridge doesn't try to hide what Portland is it shows it off. A little rough, a little beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable. read more

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Burnside Bridge spans the river between the west and the east portions of one of the longest and busiest streets in Portland. The bridge has five car lanes, two bike lanes, sidewalks on each side, and three spans beneath. The two towers on the south side give it a fairly distinct appearance. This bridge has been seismically retrofitted to hopefully remain standing during an earthquake. So knock on wood, but this might be the only bridge you can drive over to get from east to west and vice versa during a seismic emergency. Burnside Street is notable for splitting the north and south quadrants of the city. The infamous White Stag sign can be viewed well from Burnside Bridge. Some stalls at Portland's Saturday Market are tucked under the bridge. There is a skate park under the east side of the bridge, and connections to the Eastbank Esplanade. So overall I would recommend walking over this bridge on your visit to Portland! read more

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Connecting the central east side to the central downtown area on the west, this wide bridge serves as both a commuter bridge and a neighborhood bridge for those like me who live on the waterfront and shop and run errands on both sides of the river. While I've traveled the bridge a thousand times by car, today I walked across as part of my Covid-19 challenge to walk all the city bridges, except the Fremont and Marcom! I followed the Willamette through the paved pathways of Tom McCall Park, 5hen crossed over to the East side via the Steal bridge, using the lower pedestrian walkway. Once on the east side, just a quick walk down the Esplanade, you will find the step stairway that takes you up to the Burnside Bridge. There are a lot of steps, but each is aprox 8 inches high so even with my bad knees, it wasn't an issue. As soon as you get up top, the view is spectacular! Don't forget to look East even if you are heading west. The new buildings on the east end make quite a statement. Of all the bridges, the Burnside just may have the best Views of the City. Look north and admire the Steel and Fremont bridges, and if you time it right, a beautiful sunset. When facing south, the expansive Willamette with the downtown buildings to the right and the Morrison Bridge off in the distance is breathtaking. Even though it was a super cloudy day, the vistas were still mesmerizing. As you get mid bridge, the two towers make a great photo op, as does the iconic Portland Oregon White Stag sign that you will see on the north west side as you approach downtown. Yes, I took the obligatory selfie! The descent is gradual and drops you off in Old Town amongst camps of homeless and lots of street people, more than I can Ever recall. Yikes. With the protesting going on nightly (writing this during Covid-19 lockdown and the Black Lives Matter protests) many people living on the streets of downtown Portland have moved their tents to this area. I stayed alert, walked briskly, and got out of that area quickly. Next time I walk the Burnside, I will do so with a friend. From a driving perspective, the road and lanes are wide. When it's not rush hour, the traffic moves quickly. Once I got stuck on the bridge while it was opening to let ships through during Fleet week. It was fascinating to watch. Of all the bridges, this one opens and closes the fastest. read more

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Well, I guess I review bridges now! I only have good memories attached to this bridge. I have never lived in Portland, only visit often. I stay at the Eastside Lodge on all my trips when they have rooms available, and to get anywhere I wanna go I normally have to cross this bridge. I don't drive there, so it's always a walk. It's nice being able to look out at the water, and I appreciate the "art" scattered around the bridge (really, it's worth paying attention to it while you walk it). At this point, there's nothing negative to say about this bridge; It gets you from one side to the other safely, and realistically you can't ask for much else out of a bridge, right? Last time I was there, there was construction going on right at the start of the bridge. I am keeping my fingers crossed they don't ugly it up like they've done to the rest of that area I stay at. We'll see though... read more

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Coming over the bridge is a nice view of the other bridges on both sides. It was a slow drive across during traffic hour. Enjoy it. read more

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Burnside Bridge is nice looking bridge. As a bridge itself, I could not find any fault. Love those ornate towers and it's history. But I definitely advise not go walk across the bridge late at night or after dark alone. There are groups (100s) of homeless people camping out on the bridge near Salvation Army. One can say they are harmless, but just making a female traveller like me feel unsafe. PS. My Yelp friends never see me walk so fast while crossing this Bridge. read more

Burnside Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Burnside Avenue is the defining line between the North and the South of Portland, and the Burnside Bridge is the marker between East and West. The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, carrying Burnside Street. It is the second bridge at the same site to carry that name. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012. This is my favorite bridge crossing the Willamette and is the least scary. Be diligent about paying close attention as the crazies seem to cross all the lanes at random times and random points. The views of the city and of the Willamette are wonderful. The sidewalks are also wide for pedestrian access. read more

Burnside Bridge - From the east bank esplanade. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The Burnside Bridge, built in 1926, is located on one of the longest and busiest streets in the Portland area. The Burnside Bridge is a direct connection between downtown Portland, Beaverton and Gresham. In 2014, about 40,000 vehicles a day used it. So did more than 2,000 pedestrians and bicyclists a day. The three-span Burnside Bridge was the first Willamette River bridge in Portland designed with the help of an architect, a result of the early 20th century City Beautiful Movement that called for adding architectural ornamentation to engineering designs. The bridge's distinctive Italian Renaissance towers reflect the trend. Burnside is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Originally designed by the firm of Hedrick and Kremers, Burnside was completed by Gustav Lindenthal (1850-1935). Burnside's drawbridge opening mechanism, or bascule, was designed by Joseph Strauss (1870-1938), whose Golden Gate suspension bridge would open 11 years after Burnside. The Burnside Bridge main river structure consists of two 268-foot steel deck truss side spans and a 252-foot double-leaf Strauss trunnion bascule draw span. Two concrete counterweights weighing 1900 tons each can be lowered to open the two lift span leafs when a ship needs to pass.  The bridge originally had six lanes of traffic, but in 1995 the City of Portland requested that bike lanes be added to the bridge, so one lane of traffic was converted into two bike lanes. Two lanes carry westbound motor vehicle traffic and three lanes carry eastbound traffic. There are sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. The overall width of the structure is 86 feet. Vertical clearance of the closed bascule span is adequate for the majority of river traffic, with openings necessary only about 40 times per month. You have to watch this machine in action. So smooth. Then you see the massive counterweights at 1900 Tons Each. Wow. The views from the bridge are amazing. Day or Night. The middle of the Burnside Bridge obviously will be the best selfie spot. Your Welcome. J. read more

Neither North, South, East, or West the Burnside Bridge is the true center of Bridgetown. Day labor on the east end, controversial sign and rescue mission on the other. Love the Italian renaissance towers and decorative railing (both the result of architectural consultation). First learned of this bridge playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and later rediscovered it at Saturday Market. My winner for coolest PDX bridge name. Come on, say it. Burnside Bridge. Yeah, I don't know, I just like it. Visuals:http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LORbKG74FxOLuzCrqnzL8A?select=HNkbPF3vnDp9G2GSQVFR5A read more

Burnside Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The first few PDX bridges built across the Willamette River were really quite architecturally unique with beautiful trusses spanning high above the deck: the Hawthorne Bridge (1910), Steel Bridge (1912), and Broadway Bridge (1913). But by 1926, it seems like they had given up on beauty and gave way to more utilitarian, practical motivations that led to the Burnside Bridge's flat and less distinguished design. Even to this day it remains most plain bridge as its younger brother (the Morrison Bridge) is at least spruced up with colorful lights at night. That being said it's almost 90 years old, and after its recent renovation it gets the job done as good as any of its other up or downstream counterparts: - It has 4 lanes for motor traffic, - Wide and luxurious bike lanes & sidewalks, - Relatively ornate railings and nice watch towers (it's tempting to climb up to the lookout station but rest assured you'll get a ticket for tresspassing), - The West side provides rain cover for Max patrons beneath, and a place for the homeless to catch some shuteye above. Given that it gives direct access to Voodoo Donuts, the Saturday Market, Powell's Books, PGE Park (oops, I meant Jeld-Wen Field), the NW District, and the West Hills (it's sometimes your best option for crossing the hills when Highway 26 is at a standstill), most visitors will find it hard to get around the city without crossing the Burnside Bridge at least once. read more

My favorite and least scary bridge. The only one that doesn't really induce some type of anxiety for me. It's centrally located right down the middle of the city as the dividing line from South to North. When the bridge is up, it's not much of a wait until it goes back down. There are enough lanes that it doesn't get too congested. Entering the bridge from the East side now is slightly trickier with the Couch St couplet but does make for an easier traffic transition. It's a good bridge for walking, taking in scenery and getting good pictures. It's likely you will encounter some type of vagrants or people waiting in line for their food at the Mission, but I've never personally felt threatened. At least I know there aren't jumpers on this bridge, confusing lanes, weird grates that make your car shake and it's not too high up. read more

Burnside Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

In Portland it's easy to take a bridge walk and I've taken 4 over my several trips to the Rose City. Here are my stories....(Cue the Law and Order Clang). The Burnside Bridge is a double-leaf "Strauss style" bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River and was opened in 1926. Including approaches, the Burnside has a total length of 2,308 ft and a 251 ft center span. While lowered this span is normally 64 ft above the river. The deck is made of concrete, which contributes to its being one of the heaviest bascule bridges in the United States. The counterweights, housed inside the two piers, weigh 1,700 short tons and the lifting is normally controlled by the Hawthorne Bridge operator. In 1891, Burnside Street was changed from "B" street to take the name of Dan Burnside, a local businessman who was a proponent of the 1866 dredging of the Willamette River. The original Burnside Bridge was a swing span bridge that opened in 1894. It is the only Willamette River bridge in Portland that was designed with input from an architect. This led to the Italian Renaissance towers and decorative metal railings. On my last trip, I was part of an early morning fun run and saw those twin concrete slabs rise and fall for the first time. Way cool. Less cool is is the some of the urban wildlife present under and around the Burnside Bridge, at least on the West Side. On the top side, you can walk, bike, or take the bus across. read more

Beautiful views of the city from this bridge. Nice to walk across during the day, better to drive across at night.

Portland is an aquatic city. Several rivers cross it, including the mighty Columbia wending its way to the Pacific. The Burnside crosses the Willamette River, which begins its journey in Eugene, winding northward until it flows into the Columbia. The Burnside is a fitting monument to this- with its Italianate style&drawbridges. The Burnside provides a juxtaposition- one can behold the hipsters, Chinatown, the White Stag sign, as well as the homeless at Waterfront Park. At night, it can be ominous place. In the daytime, it's OK for biking and walking. The towers on the drawbridge are fascinating. A true Portland landmark. read more

The Burnside Bridge (Est. May 28, 1926) is a bascule bridge with it's deck made out of concrete. Over the years I've lived in Portland, OR - I've learned that the Burnside Bridge or the Burnside street itself divides up the North from the South sides of the city. Starting on the West end of the bridge, the Portland Saturday Market was originally held under the bridge (the market is now near the Tom McCall Waterfront area). Now this area is dedicated as a TriMet MAX stop-line and it also happens to be an area where most of the homeless hang out since the food and shelter places are nearby. As you head towards East Burnside, it's a bit nicer in the sense where there are less homeless hanging around. FYI = *Named after Dan Burnside (a local business man in the late 1860's) *Only Willamette River bridge designed with an architect's input *1990's was named "Regional Emergency Transportation Route" *1995 added bicycle lanes to the bridge *2002 had a facelift and was "earthquake protected" *Used to cross streetcars back in the 1950's, those lanes were taken off by 2007 *2012 was added to the National Register of Historic Places I'm usually driving on the Burnside Bridge when I'm headed to restaurants off of E Burnside (Le Pigeon, Sizzle Pie, EastBurn, etc.). I wouldn't walk on this bridge because of the crazy homeless hanging out around here. But not too shabby for crossing to the other side of town! PDX 30 Day Yelp Challenge #27 of 30 read more

Hasn't collapsed while I was crossing. Pretty much my main requirement for a bridge. I did, however have the great luck of breaking down on the east side, a hundred feet or so after the turn from Grand. Since my tow truck driver (my car needs a flat bed truck)had his head up his ass and couldn't figure out where I was after his last call, I ended up sitting there for well over two hours. In that time, I got to enjoy some late summer sun on my face, lose a couple of rounds of WWF and generally take in people/bike/car watching while admiring the river and the west side. It really is an extraordinary view. Three cops stopped to check on me, they were are incredibly nice. Only asshole? A dude on a bike hollered "That's a really bad place to stop!!" I chased him down and threw his fixie in the river. No, I didn't but obvs the dude didn't know I had hot fluid pouring down from under the dash, onto my flip flop covered feet - right before my car sputtered and stopped. Dick. I will now end this review like I ended book reports in fifth grade: "In conclusion, the bridge has both positive and negative features. The positives are that I can get across water, I like the neon sign, nice cops, and there are lots of nice views. The negatives are mean bicyclists. So the positives outweigh the negatives. Therefore, I think the bridge should be re-named "The Simon LeBon Bridge." read more

The Burnside Bridge is A-OK. It seems to function well, and even though it's not much of a looker, it gets the job done. I've had the distinct pleasure of walking over this bridge numerous times, and it's always pleasant, with plenty of decent views of the city's more attractive bridges. I've also spent plenty of time cruising through in my auto as well. It's actually much more pleasant on foot. The downsides to this bridge are that there's often traffic (when driving) and if you cross on the north side of the road coming from east to west you're likely to run in to a mass of homeless folks chillin' outside the shelter. I'd say that 75% of the time they'll leave you alone, but if you're not attuned to this aspect of urban living, choose the other side of the road. As far as accessibility, utility and function, the Burnside Bridge serves well. read more

Had to knock it down one star because of all the construction. And it's not even the real construction which won't even begin until 2024. What a rip-off. read more

How did I end up limping across this bridge late one rainy evening? The circumstances are too bizarre to recount here. Lets just say I'll never walk the span of the Burnside Bridge at dusk again--at least not without a flak jacket and a sawed-off shotgun. This bridge looks good from a distance, but up close and personal is a different story. As soon as the sun starts going down, this concrete monster is transformed into something straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft story. *shudder* My least favorite bridge in Portland. read more

The Burnside Bridge is great simply because it's a convenient way to get across the river and in or out of downtown. Paired up with the White Stag sign, these two are iconic Portland. My best memory of this bridge was when my friend from LA wanted a picture of the sign and begged us to drive across and then back incredibly slowly so she could find just the right angle. My worst memory of this bridge was when a homeless person quickly ran out across all lanes of traffic on a dark and rainy night. Unfortunately this is an all too common occurrence. Be extra vigilant. read more

I wanted to challenge myself and actually write a review ..about a bridge.... Specifically the Burnside Bridge....why? For me the Bridge signifies "I'm home" whether from work , a night out or out of town . Built in 1926 ...the Bridge is named after some dude that thought it would be good to dredge the Willamette ...The street was originally named B street until 1894. Its operated automatically from another bridge unless water levels are high then its operated on site....fascinating huh? So...lets get into my editorial about that the bridge is a true reflection of the mindset of Portland. 1) Often on the north side of Burnside right before the bridge dudes will set up free coffee juice and donuts for bike riders. 2) If you are navigating over the bridge making a right on second to get to Naito Parkway ..your patience and vigilance is needed especially in the am....the flow of people coming out of the homeless mission , some a bit disoriented may put individuals in the middle of the street. 3) You can access the riverfront path for running directly off the bridge....I'm not a fan of heights and frankly that access staircase freaks me out a bit... 4) Even if the bridge is not raised traffic can back up especially on your evening drive headed eastside. 5) If you are driving and not from Portland ...do not compete with the Bikers,,.many whom are doing about 25 MPH ..and maybe balancing a double shot espresso and a mobile device in each hand...or hauling a 25lb pack pack....embrace them...love them as equals Hail to the Burnside Bridge...the true blue collar bridge over the mighty Willamette ...and I promise not to write another review about a bridge...unless its has beer on it. read more

You don't need to pay for this ride, boys and girls, it's FREE!! Crossing this behemoth on foot, bicycle, or in a motor vehicle beats the heck out of scrambling down the bank and swimming across the Willamette to get to the other side. Nice views of the city from the span, too. read more

Snow drifts as high as the railings and the MAX shut down for ice made for an unceremonious crossing of Burnside Bridge early winter morning in 2004 to get to work. My normal lightrail view of the city at daybreak crossing the Steel Bridge had nothing on the brisk windswept outing I endured that day. Not a pleasant stroll even on nice days. I respected and loved this bridge even more because of it but found the warehouse cold and desolate. I guess all the other drivers had taken the hint of many inches of snowfall on top of ice to call the day off. I can appreciate more fully now the new vantage looking out from studio. I give thanks and further pause to appreciate this concrete behemoth and the less than fortunate folks who cross it. read more

One of the many bridges in Portland. What is cool here are the two old towers on this drawbridge. Easy to walk up to from the Saturday market (which is also good to check out). read more

Burnside Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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In and of itself, the Burnside Bridge is not as attractive as the many other Willamette River bridges we crossed or saw during our trip to Portland, having neither above or below design structures to make it look anything other than its straightforward, concrete self, a double-leaf bascule bridge. The pedestrian walkways on either side are akin to sidewalks next to the road traffic, and crossing Burnside is not much different than walking down a streetlamp-lit road, but for the wonderful views of the Willamette River and Portland skyline over the fairly low stone railings, especially during our night crossing. We walked from east to west. As we approached the west side, an old-fashioned neon sign welcomed us to "Portland, Oregon, Old Town." Toward that end, we also passed increasingly large numbers of a homeless population camped out on the pedestrian walkway, making the final stretch a less comfortable trek at that hour. The bridge terminates in Old Town, becoming once again Burnside St, the dividing street between north and south Portland. read more

My first memory of the Burnside Bridge is in early childhood (two, three years of age??) while in the back seat of the car seated next to my younger brother and listening to my folks talk about "Skid Row" and bums. I thought Skid Row was Burnside's real street name for quite awhile. I remember things being really seedy at the time from about the base of the bridge on the west side probably up to about 20th or so where Stadium Fred Meyer is still located. Some weird dank curtain seemed to lift in my parents' minds once we got closer to Fred's and Civic Stadium and thus closer to the point of our visit to an aunt and uncle who had a super cool apartment in NW Portland (a real glamorous novelty to a suburban-dwelling child) or further up in the Northwest Hills to go see friends or family in the original St. Vincent Hospital (and all the nuns wearing their really beautiful habits and looking fairly unearthly). As they say, another day, another dollar, and wow there has been a lot of money parceled out over the years to this bridge and area. A lot has changed (Portland Saturday Market kind of gave Waterfront Park a bit of color and prosperity along with development of the Eastbank Esplanade, and so many new apartment buildings that have given both sides of the Burnside Bridge a facelift). There are times that it still startles me, a clash between memories and modernity, but this sturdy old bridge keeps on pushing us all along on our daily trips between east and west. While I'm glad to see people using it for walking as well and seeming comfortable, I'm afraid I'm not comfortable unless in a car; yes, I am a victim of my parents' thinking and some time going to nightclubs in the area in my twenties when it got a little scary at times. Yet I'm glad The Burnside Bridge is still a definite player in Portland because I love having known it from childhood, and I particularly admire the people who still man the shelters for the homeless and work hard to help them find some comfort in a cold world. I hope we can continue to find a way for everyone to feel comfortable and use the Burnside Bridge for years to come. read more

''This is one of the older and iconic Bridges in the Portland downtown area. As far as Portland Bridges go? At least crossing on a Motorcycle it was? ''The Burnside is a lift type Bridge and was Built a while back The iconic Burnside Bridge crosses the river between South West downtown and South East Portland so the river is an natural and ideal separator? I've walked across this Bridge probably up to a half dozen times in my life? It's usually open only to foot traffic on Rose festival day? 4 stars****! ''Thank you'' read more

The bridge is attractive and historic and filled with lots of shady types and LOTS homeless on the sidewalk. Also on the plus side when you are driving across it has good views of downtown and the white stag one way and Mount hood and the east side going the other, When walking stay alert! just joking it is usually safe enough but as always in a downtown area pay attention to your surroundings. read more

My favorite bridge in Portland! It's not the greatest part of the city, but you get a phenomenal view of the Willamette River and of course the oh so famous Portland sign. You can see all the other bridges too. I like to walk it in the evening to see all of the city lights reflecting off the river, it's soothing to me. read more

Oh my first bridge love of Portland. I miss walking across you everyday in the high of my first year here.

The Burnside bridge is the Portland bridge most likely to be open for a boat and therefore the most likely to delay your travels. I am not sure if that is because it is lower to the water than some of of the bridges or exactly why it seems to be open more often than the others. read more

Great bridge for a walk. It has a beautiful view of the water and city.