Morrison Bridge, Spanning Willamette River on Morrison & Alder Stre, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

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Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

26 b&w photos
43 data pages
3 photo caption pages
1 color transparencies

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TITLE:
Morrison Bridge, Spanning Willamette River on Morrison & Alder Stre, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

CALL NUMBER:
HAER OR-100

REPRODUCTION NUMBER:
[See Call Number]

MEDIUM:
Photo(s): 26 (4 x 5)
Data Page(s): 42 plus cover page
Photo Caption Page(s): 3
Color Transparencies: 1

DATE:
Documentation compiled after 1968.

CREATOR:
Historic American Engineering Record, creator

NOTE:
Survey number HAER OR-100

Building/structure dates: 1954 initial construction

Significance: The Morrison Bridge embodies the mid-twentieth century transition in bridge engineering. The last bascule bridge built on the Willamette in Portland, it replaced the last of the earlier swing spans to carry vehicular traffic. The Morrison had been on the drawing board since 1927; thirty years later it essentially embodied the 1920s consensus. But it was also the first local Willamette span to emerge from corporate design rather than from a small consulting firm led by a nationally prominent individual engineer. Innovative open bascule piers permit the river to flow through, minimizing the hydraulic effects of their exceptional size. It is the only non-freeway bridge integrated with Portland's freeway system.

SUBJECTS:
OREGON--Multnomah County--Portland
bascule bridges
vehicular bridges

COLLECTION:
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

REPOSITORY:
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

DIGID:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.or0469

CONTENTS:
Photograph caption(s):
1. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking north (downstream).
2. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking northeast, with Tom McCall Riverfront Park in foreground.
3. General view of main span, looking northeast, with Riverfront Park in foreground.
4. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking west across the Willamette, with approach ramps in background.
5. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking southeast, with Riverfront Park and walkway in foreground.
6. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking northwest across the Willamette River, with downtown Portland in the background.
7. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking west with downtown Portland in the background.
8. South elevation of Morrison Bridge, looking north (downstream), with Convention Center Towers and steel bridge in the background.
9. North elevation of Morrison Bridge, looking south, with Marquam Bridge the background (far left corner of view).
10. Approach view of Morrison Bridge, looking east.
11. View of substructure, looking west, north side of the structure.
12. Substructure view of deck truss, west bank of the Willamette River.
13. Detail view of substructure and truss bearing assembly.
14. Detail view of double-leaf bascule drawspan and bridge tender's housing.
15. Detail view of double-leaf bascule drawspan in closed position.
16. Detail view of double-leaf bascule drawspan in open position.
17. Detail view of bridge operator's house covered pedestrian waiting area.
18. Detail view of bridge operator's house.
19. Detail view of traffic control armature.
20. Detail view of bridge railing.
21. Detail view of pedestrian access ramp, east bank of Willamette River, looking north.
22. Detail view of drawspan control panel, interior of bridge operator's house.
23. Detail view of drawspan control panel, interior of bridge operator's house.
24. Interior detail of drawspan control panel, interior of bridge operator's house, with burnside bridge visible in background through the window.
25. Interior detail view of bascule track assembly.
26. Interior detail view of trunnion.
27. General view of Morrison Bridge, looking northeast.

CONTROL #:
OR0469

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