(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
To help mark the 100th birthday of the Interstate Bridge a group of organizations is hosting an essay contest.
When we saw the theme — “My Interstate Bridge Adventure” — we figured people who bike across the bridge might be inspired to enter. That’s because on a bike it feels like an adventure every time I cross the narrow path just feet from rumbling motorized traffic.
Unfortunately we just heard about this and deadline for entries is tomorrow night (1/31).
Like many of you, I have mixed feelings about this bridge. I of course love the fact that it connects me to downtown Vancouver; but it’s hard to access and once on the bridge it’s not always pleasant to ride on. Add in the controversies surrounding the Columbia River Crossing project and it’s no wonder I’m much less enamored with this bridge than others like the Steel, Hawthorne, or Broadway.
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I’d love to hear from those of you who ride this often.
If you’d like to join the official celebration, mark your calendar for February 11th. The festivities will happen at the Red Lion on the River (Jantzen Beach) from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. “This is going to be a fun and educational event honoring a bridge that helped connect vibrant communities and the broader region,” said Nancy Chapin, from PDX Bridge Festival. “Prior to the bridge opening in 1917, the only way to cross the Columbia River was by ferry boat.”
You can learn more here.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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