The Oregonian has a front page story this morning about a new potential bridge that would cross the Willamette River south of the Marquam Bridge.
Writer Dylan Rivera reports that it would be “Portland’s first new bridge in 34 years,” and that it would be unique among other Willamette River bridges in its prohibition of a certain type of vehicle…
“The span would carry light-rail and streetcar service, bicycles, pedestrians and possibly buses. But it would have no cars — a testament to a generation that built one of the nation’s most coveted transit systems.”
The Oregonian headline calls it a “Portland-style crossing”. I like that.
Planners are still wrangling over the exact alignment of the bridge, but according to the Oregonian article, Portland Planning Director Gill Kelley says, “I think this can actually happen.”
I hope so. Read the article for more info.
And in other bridge news, construction is set to begin in spring of 2009 on the SW Gibbs Pedestrian Bridge. According to the City of Portland Office of Transportation,
“The Gibbs Pedestrian Bridge will provide an important pedestrian and bicycle connection from the well-established Lair Hill neighborhood to the new South Waterfront District and the Willamette River. The pedestrian bridge span will be approximately 700 feet and cross over the Interstate 5 Freeway at SW Gibbs Street, adjacent to the Aerial Tram.”
Check out one of the architects renderings:
Carfree bridges, carfree streets, an international carfree conference coming to Portland next summer.
Dare I say we’re entering a new transportation era?