The bridges
Portland bridges from the river
The bridges a Willamette cruise passes under, from the 1910 Hawthorne lift span to the lit towers of Tilikum Crossing, with a fact to carry aboard for each.
Reserve the dinner cruise ↗Bridges on the operator's route map, upstream from the dock
| Bridge | Year on the map |
|---|---|
| Hawthorne | 1910 |
| Marquam | 1966 |
| Tilikum Crossing | 2015 |
| Ross Island | 1926 |
| Sellwood | 1925/2016 |
| Railroad, Lake Oswego | 1908 |
How the route meets the bridges
The operator's route map for the Willamette numbers nine bridges between the Steel Bridge in downtown Portland and Lake Oswego, dated from 1908 to 2015. The dock sits between the Morrison Bridge to the north and the Hawthorne Bridge to the south. The map carries a note that it is not to scale and that routes vary.
Hawthorne Bridge, 1910
The Hawthorne opened on December 19, 1910, and it is the oldest vertical-lift bridge still operating in the United States. Its 244-foot lift span rises between two 165-foot towers, held in balance by counterweights of 880,000 pounds. On average the span is raised about 120 times a month for river traffic. The bridge also carries more cyclists than any other in Oregon, over 8,000 a day, and about 800 TriMet buses. Look for the green steel and red trim, a colour scheme added in a 1998 to 1999 renovation.
From the Marquam Bridge to Sellwood
Beyond the Hawthorne the map numbers the Marquam Bridge, dated 1966, then Tilikum Crossing, the Ross Island Bridge, dated 1926, and the Sellwood Bridge, dated 1925/2016. Between them it marks the South Waterfront, the Aerial Tram, Ross Island, the Oregon Yacht Club, Oaks Amusement Park and Sellwood Riverfront Park. These are the stretches where the banks turn from towers to parks and clubs, which is why the dinner cruise saves the skyline for the trip home.
Tilikum Crossing, 2015
Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, opened on September 12, 2015. TriMet designed it for the MAX Orange Line, and it also carries buses, the Portland Streetcar, bicycles and pedestrians but no private cars. The name comes from the Chinook Jargon word for people. Its pentagonal towers rise 180 feet, and 178 LED modules light the cables, towers and deck. The colour follows the river: temperature sets the base colour, speed sets the timing and depth sets a second pattern on the towers.
The Morrison Bridge and the lit bridges
North of the dock, the Morrison Bridge opened on May 24, 1958, the third bridge at roughly that site. Portland's first Willamette bridge stood here in 1887, a wooden swing span that was then the longest bridge west of the Mississippi River. In 1987 the Morrison became the first bridge lit by the Willamette Light Brigade, and since 2007 computer-controlled LEDs have lit its piers in eight zones that can each take a different colour.
The Steel and Burnside bridges, north of the dock
On the operator's map, the Steel Bridge is number 1, dated 1912, and the Burnside Bridge is number 2, dated 1926; the Morrison, number 3, is dated 1958. All three can be seen from the waterfront park beside the dock. Whether a given sailing loops past them depends on the route that day, which the operator says varies with river activity and conditions.
How to look
Historical narration plays on the outer decks, so step outside when the boat nears a bridge. If you prefer to listen at your table, bring headphones for the Listen Everywhere app, which is not available on the Willamette Star or the Crystal Dolphin. Printed narration guides are available too. Cooler air on the outer decks is the price of the view, so bring a layer, and after dark remember that the windows can glare, which makes the outer decks the better place to photograph the lit spans. Printed guides help if you want the dates and names in hand rather than in your ear.
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