(Photos © J. Maus)
On Sunday, the girls and I joined a few friends for a ride out to Sauvie Island for some berry picking.
Besides a chance to enjoy a day on the farm, I was also able to get my first look at the new Sauvie Island Bridge.
The new bridge officially opened on June 26th and Multnomah County paid $42 million to have it built. The old bridge was built in 1950 and had become a liability for truckers due to its outdated weight capacity.
yet comfortable.
I rode over the old bridge many times. It was much narrower and, even though there was not a large shoulder or a designated bike lane, it felt sort of quaint and the motor vehicle speeds were low. The result was a cramped, yet relatively comfortable crossing.
The new bridge on the other hand, is massive in comparison (see photo above).
According to Mike Lynch, a bike planner with Multnomah County, the new bridge is 36 feet wide — 10 feet wider than the old one. In addition to being wider, the arch is also much higher.
new bridge.
The upside is that there is much more breathing room in the shoulder and they have added a standard, 6 foot wide bike lane. The downside is that, now that the bridge feels more like a highway and less like a quaint little road, I worry that motor vehicle speeds will adjust accordingly.
While riding over the bridge, I glanced at the old span and felt a twinge of sadness. I thought about the huge political and civic firestorm that erupted over the idea to spend an estimated $5.5 million to re-use this span as a bike and pedestrian-only crossing of I-405 in downtown Portland.
Now, what could have been a centerpiece of downtown Portland’s first bike boulevard, is destined for the scrap heap.
Have you ridden across the new bridge? Do you like having the extra room? Share your thoughts below.