St Johns Bridge

Portland has many bridges. Many look good. I’ve always liked the Freemont Bridge and I am a fan of the new Tillicum Crossing. The Saint Johns thou ranks first on my list of best looking bridge in Portland.
I don’t cross it often, when I do I always think how awkward its on ramps are. I guess that is the price of being tall enough for ships to pass without stopping traffic.

In case you didn’t know, the St. John’s Bridge, which spans the Willamette River, is my favorite. It’s just so beautifully elegant that I get all quivery when I see it.
I see it a lot more regularly now than I used to and this is due to one of my besties buying a condo in the land far away known as the St. Johns neighborhood. So thank you Jeannie J. for bringing me closer to my favourite bridge.
A little history now; at the time it was built, back in the late 1920’s, and opened on June 13, 1931, the St. John’s bridge was the longest suspension style bridge west of the Mississippi River. Thank goodness the builders did not go along with the goverment’s idea to paint the bridge yellow with black stripes. Now that would just be hideous, right?
This magnificent structure accommodates pedestrians, cyclists and of course motor traffic. It can get congested at times as it is only 2 lanes flowing in either direction.
Below the bridge on the east bank of the Willamette you can find Cathedral Park and affords another great perspective on this stately bridge.
Hey, do you all remember the shenanigans in July, 2015, when the Greenpeace activists dangled from the bridge? Good times were had by all.
2015 — Review # 86

Is it weird to have a favorite bridge? This is mine.
It gets points with me for architecture /​design and nostalgia. This was the first bridge in Portland that I saw /​drove across and it brings back those memories of my first trip to Oregon every time I see it. There is a beautiful park underneath the bridge on the east side called Cathedral Park. Yes, the traffic to cross it can be terrible at times but it’s still a gorgeous bridge. 5 stars.

Beautiful bridge. Not much else to say except if you want to take a Sunday drive you should drive over the many bridges in the Portland, Oregon. I love this area especially in the Fall. Take a drive and do a progressive meal day sampling some of the great restaurants where the bridges of Portland lead to.

One reason I wanted to live in St. John’s was the view of the bridge, and driving across it on a regular basis. It’s just spectacular.
Alas, I live south of Sellwood. Far from the St. John’s bridge. Gotta try again next year.

This bridge sucks. I started to drive across it and got lost. Ended up back where I started. It’s broken.

This is so beautiful! The gorgeous green patina iron Arches inspires the most hardened art deco fan! I love Cathedral Park which is underneath the bridge. The jazz festival here is pretty cool. I loved seeing the Green Peace Activists dangling with their long streamers flowing.

I think this is my favourite PDX bridge. I love the blue and the style. If and when we have the option, I prefer to take this one over all the others (don’t tell them!).
You can get some great shots from Forest Park and Cathedral park.

The Saint Johns Bridge is among the more beautiful of the bridges in Portland. It connects the Saint Johns neighborhood with the part of Portland near Sauvie Island. There are buses, pedestrians and of course cars which the bridge has everyday. It’s look is comparable to a nice chandelier, made better with the uniqueness of the teel color.
I first discovered this bridge by walking around the neighborhood. Then later on, I went to Sauvie Island, which requires another bridge, the Sauvie Island Bridge. Going under the cables is a thrilling feeling. This does not have anything resembling a cookie cutter model. The center looks like a British tower, making it have a nice groove. You can enter it easily from all over the retro suitability of Saint Johns, and get your picture with it.
The Saint Johns Bridge will continue to be a landmark for Portland.

Cool bridge to walk/​drive across, very industrial. Views from the bridge are beautiful. Takes you to forest park and sauvie island.

This is a beautiful bridge, and in my opinion the most photogenic one. Most of the bridges in Portland are more for utility instead of aesthetics, but the St. John’s Bridge does a good job of both. It looks like a blue version of the Queensboro Bridge in New York City and it’s fun to walk, bike or drive over.
It’s also a must-​see if you are going to Sauvie Island, especially if you are driving from the east side of the Willamette River in Portland. And guess what? It’s free to cross over. Tolls are so OVER.

When a visitor and before ever moving here, I only knew of the Fremont Bridge and the other bridges crossing the Willamette River near downtown. I learned of the St. John’s Bridge by driving down US 30 to the coast, where this highway ends it run at Astoria.
It certainly is an interesting bridge and one that is ornate, so you will remember it. It sits up high, with inclined access roads on the Forest Park side to take you up to it. It has Gothic points in its towers and below the bridge deck. It is also of a green color that makes it more distinctive. I don’t have a word to describe that shade of green, but it works. It’s placed in a nice area, from which the driver, cyclist, or pedestrian is afforded views of the area. Clearly, the best view is looking south, back toward the Portland skyline, with Mt. Hood seen on a clear day. For merely connecting a northern point of the city to an «isolated» enclave such as St. John’s, it has 2 lanes in each direction and, any time I’ve driven over it, there were no traffic hiccups. It’s also free of charge.
Four stars means I’m a fan. I guess I’m holding back on the 5^th star (as good as it gets) for the St. John’s Bridge because it isn’t easily viewed from many vantage points, it’s a smaller bridge, and because, with future growth, the smaller feeder roads and the bridge configuration might become a little antiquated. When that will be the case is hard to prognosticate.
Regardless, the St. John’s Bridge takes people to the St. John’s area, an interestingly placed enclave of the city which is off the beaten path, has an extra dose of character, abuts a peninsular promontory, and feels somewhat like a maritime town, though some 90 miles inland.

The most beautiful bridge west of the Mississippi. Gothic steel architecture with breathtaking views of the Willamette. Takes you directly to St. John’s or Forest Park – one of the most luscious city forests in the country. A true Portland gem.

I have lived in St. John’s for about a year. I moved to the area when I accepted a job with Bushwacker Inc. I will never forget it. It was my first day and I had showed up 2 hours early for work. I was standing outside waiting and then I saw it. It was the breathtaking St. Johns Bridge.
This bridge is beautiful. It is particularly lovely when it is a beacon in the fog. The bridge’s beauty makes it a natural for filming (example «Pay It Forward»). This bridge is my favorite and I love it every time I see it.

One of my favorite bridges (in the world). A must see if you visit Portland. The area is rough and industrial (not pretty), but the park seems safe to go for a stroll (in daylight).
Note: the 5 star rating is for the bridge, not the park (Cathedral Park).

What is there to say about the St. Johns bridge that hasn’t been said already?
As the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley, St. Johns doesn’t disappoint. Whether visitor or local, the drive to and over is always worth the short trip north. Featured in the movie Pay It Forward and the TV series Grimm, the bridge has had its time in the limelight as well.
Nearby the Cathedral Park Restaurant’s patio provides a wonderful view of the bridge and is a nice summer happy hour spot.
Visit the bridge. Take pictures. Experience the wonder.

Whether I’m visiting the bridge itself and driving across it, or stopping down below to take a walk through Cathedral Park, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to visit Portland and not pay a quick trip to the St. Johns Bridge.
This absolute masterpiece is not just one of the most beautiful bridges I’ve ever seen, it’s also situated in an absolutely stunning area. Like stepping onto the set of a movie, you’ll want to just stop and stare and take a ton of photos here.
There’s something eerie and beautiful about the bridge. When I look up to admire it I think of when it was built, all the millions of people who have crossed it. Pretty neat. Definitely a must-​see if you’re visiting the Portland area.

While listening to the news of late, I note Multnomah County is preparing a twenty-​year bridge plan. That’s a great idea. It also reminds me I haven’t added to my Portland Bridge series in quite awhile, and It makes me hope that they won’t do anything too drastic to the St. John’s Cathedral Bridge, although they did a pretty massive painting and repaving project on it back about 2000.
Just a quick bit of backstory: bridges of any type tend to make me nervous, a little queasy, and make me practice white-​knuckle driving. I’m not sure why or where it started, but I do know that most of the bridges give me these feelings, but not so much the the St. John’s Bridge.
I think it’s because it’s so beautiful, magnificent, soaring, and all those great words that distract me from the obvious things that usually make me uncomfortable. I think it’s also that this bridge is part of my Portland history; it was here before I was and it’s my great hope that it will be here long after I’m gone.
So, soar on, my favorite Portland bridge. I look forward to our visits every time I drive across, and I’ll be sure to support any twenty-​year bridge plan that takes good care of you!

You are so pretty and photogenic!
you stand out and shine bright, even on those cloudy days!
I recently had some engagement photos taken at cathedral park –below the bridge and on the docks as well, and all of the compliments I received were not on my little black dress, or my lovers gaze, they were compliments on you! You are a bridge, and you stole my thunder! for that you deserve 5 stars!

How much do we Portlanders love our bridges? A lot. How much do St Johnsians love the St John’s Bridge? A really really lot! On the neighborhood page, among the rants and missing cat posts, you will see a new and novel-​seeming picture every couple days depicting our beloved bridge at various times of day, weather and maybe even moods. We really do like our bridge.
I guess it has a good history of suicides or bad stuff around it — including last week’s incident where the girl was finally talked down after more than 5 hours. But doesn’t that just add to the mystique.
Did you see the episode of Food Cart Wars that started with the trucks all gathering in the park under the bridge? AWESOME!
Beautiful from every angle — never has a bridge been so photogenic! And part of the appeal and charm of Cathedral Park. Now the turmoil that surrounds the traffic of the bridge, the cops, the closings is a horse of another color — but this isn’t Facebook!