Burnside Bridge, Spanning Willamette River at Burnside Street, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

Significance: Burnside Bridge is one in an ensemble of twelve monumental highway bridges across the lower Willamette River, and one of five Portland span bridges (with Ross Island Bridge, Sellwood Bridge, Lovejoy Viaduct, and the Broadway Bridge) associated with Gustav Lindenthal during the period 1924-1928. The Portland bridges were the last of this master engineer's career, and remain rare examples of Lindenthal-designed highway-only deck trusses. The Burnside Bridge proper was designed by Ira G. Hedrick , a former partner of J.A.L. Waddell of Kansas City, Missouri, while Lindenthal oversaw the Burnside Bridge's entire construction. The Burnside Bridge bascule system was designed by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Co., Joseph Strauss, most famous for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Of the Underneath Counterweight type, Burnside is one of the three main bascule span types patented by the Strauss Co., and is similar in proportions and operation to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C., another large Strauss bascule. When the Burnside Bridge opened in 1926, it was the first large-scale bascule bridge in the U.S. designed with a concrete floor on its lift span roadway deck, and was further distinguished by being the largest double leaf deck bascule bridge constructed at that time. Both the bridge's side spans are riveted steel Double-Intersection (lattice) Warren trusses (with sub-verticals). The Warren truss dates to 1848, with the Burnside Bridge's Double-Intersection Warren truss configuration unique in Oregon.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N876
Survey number: HAER OR-101
Building/structure dates: 1926 Initial Construction