Burnside Bridge to close for centennial party this weekend
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The Burnside Bridge turns 100 today, and to celebrate, the city is closing the iconic span to all vehicle traffic Saturday for an afternoon of free fun.
- There'll be musical performances — including local jazz artists and the Oregon Symphony Brass Quintet — historical walking tours, old '20s-era cars on display, a vintage tweed bike ride and appearances from former Fire players.
Flashback: The bridge opened to the public in 1926 and was part of the 20th century "City Beautiful Movement," which is why we have those Italian Renaissance operator towers and ornate spindle-type balustrade railings.
- Overall, it cost $4.5 million to build, but a corrupt bidding war over its construction led to the ousting of three county commissioners that rocked local politics.
While we're celebrating the bridge's existence today, there's plans to knock it down — hopefully before the Big One does.
- Yes, but: The timeline is in limbo. Construction of the $1.8 billion earthquake-ready inverted Y-shaped replacement has been paused indefinitely due to federal funding uncertainty.
- Until then, the current bridge will continue to serve as one of the busiest transportation arteries connecting the east and west sides of the city.
😅 Like any centenarian, we're proud of this epic milestone, but can't help but be anxious about the possibility of a hip break or catastrophic fall.
If you go: Burnside Bridge Centennial Party is Saturday from noon to 5pm.