Editing Marquam Bridge

{{short description|Carries Interstate 5 traffic over the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox bridge
|name=Marquam Bridge
|image=MarquamBridge.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption=View from the south (from [[Ross Island Bridge]]) in 2005, before the [[Tilikum Crossing]] was built 
|carries={{jct|state=OR|I|5}}
|crosses=[[Willamette River]]
|locale=[[Portland, Oregon]]
|maint=[[Oregon Department of Transportation|ODOT]]
|id=08328
|design=[[Cantilever bridge|Cantilever truss]]
|mainspan={{convert|440|ft}} 
|length= {{convert|1043|ft}} 
|width={{convert|57|ft}}
|clearance=<{{convert|35|ft}} northbound
|below={{convert|130|ft}}
|open=October 1966
|coordinates = {{coord|45.5079|-122.6690|display=inline,title}}
}}

The '''Marquam Bridge''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɑr|k|əm}} is a double-deck, [[cantilever bridge|steel-truss cantilever bridge]]<ref name="Bottenberg">{{Cite book |url={{Google books |laTfY36RfY0C |pg=PA97 |plainurl=yes}} |last=Bottenberg |first=R. |date=2007 |title=Bridges of Portland |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |access-date=June 20, 2012}}</ref> that carries [[Interstate 5]] traffic across the [[Willamette River]] from south of downtown [[Portland, Oregon]], on the west side to the industrial area of inner [[Southeast Portland, Oregon|Southeast]] on the east. It is the busiest bridge in [[Oregon]], carrying 140,500&nbsp;vehicles a day as of 2016.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Historical Traffic Data |url=https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Data/Documents/TVT_2016.pdf |journal=2016 Traffic Volumes on State Highways |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |access-date=July 3, 2018}}</ref> The upper deck carries northbound traffic; the lower deck carries southbound traffic. The Marquam also has on and off ramps for Interstate 405 on the south end of the bridge, while the terminus on the east bank of the river is near the interchange with [[Interstate 84 in Oregon|Interstate 84]].

==History==
Planning for the span started in 1956 as the last link in Oregon for the new [[Interstate Highway System]] for the main north-south route through the state.<ref name="hallman2015"/> Even prior to construction, it was decided to name the span after [[Philip Augustus Marquam|Philip Marquam]].<ref name="HAER"/> Marquam was a state legislator and [[Multnomah County]] judge, who owned much of [[Marquam Hill, Portland, Oregon|Marquam Hill]] where [[Oregon Health & Science University]] and the [[Veterans Affairs Medical Center]] now stand.<ref name="hallman2015">{{Cite news |last1=Hallman Jr. |first1=Tom |title=Marquam Bridge lacks beauty and basic amenities but excels in function: 'Spanning Oregon' |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/portland-bridges/2015/10/the_marquam_bridge_lacks_beaut.html |access-date=July 10, 2022 |work=Oregonlive / The Oregonian |date=October 24, 2015 |language=en}}</ref> Construction on the bridge's support piers began in January 1962.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wood |first=Sharon M. |date=May 14, 1984 |title=Marquam Bridge signals new life in the fast lane |page=B5 |work=The Oregonian}}</ref> Construction on the bridge finished on February 28, 1966.<ref name="HAER"/> The lower southbound deck was opened on October 4, 1966, and the upper northbound deck on October 18, 1966.<ref name="HAER"/>
[[File:MarquamBridgeHill.jpg|thumb|left|The Marquam Bridge over the Willamette River, viewed from the southwest, atop Marquam Hill]]

The bridge was designed and built by the [[Oregon Department of Transportation]] at a cost of $14&nbsp;million, equivalent to ${{Formatprice| {{Inflation|US|14000000|1966|r=-3}} }} today. Funds for the project came from the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956|Federal Highway Transportation Act]].<ref name="HAER"/> The bridge was redecked in 1983.<ref name="HAER"/> In 1990, the approach lanes from both the east and west were widened to allow four lanes of traffic and an off-ramp to Water Avenue was built.<ref name="HAER"/> Due to its importance, the Marquam was the first Portland bridge to undergo a [[seismic retrofit]] in 1995, which included installation of Italian made [[Rolling-element bearing|bearings]] add to the piers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seismic Protection Devices Study – Marquam Bridge |url=https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Programs/ResearchDocuments/SeismicProtection.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |access-date=July 10, 2022 |date=April 2000}}</ref>

==Design==
The main span of the bridge is {{convert|440|ft|m|abbr=on}} long and the two side spans are {{convert|301|ft|m|abbr=on}} each for a total length of {{convert|1043|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name="hallman2015"/> Vertical clearance of the lower deck is {{convert|130|ft|m}} and the upper deck is {{convert|20|ft|m}} above the lower. The Marquam was designed by [[Ivan D. Merchant]] and [[Pieter Kiewit Sons Company]] served as the general contractor.<ref name="HAER">{{Cite journal |title=Marquam Bridge |last=Dodds |first=Linda S. |journal=Historic American Engineering Record |issue=Willamette River Bridges Recording Project |url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/or/or0400/or0476/data/or0476data.pdf |access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> At the eastern end of the bridge, on the lower deck, is a [[ramp stub]] which was intended to connect to the later abandoned [[Mount Hood Freeway]] project.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Federman |first=Stan |date=January 19, 1981 |title=Marquam interchange funding still far down road |page=B1 |work=The Oregonian}}</ref> The bridge was designed with four lanes in each direction.<ref name="HAER"/> It was the first double-deck freeway bridge in the state.<ref name="HAER"/> Part of the design process also utilized computers for various calculations.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Boddie |first1=Ken |title=Where We Live: How the Marquam Bridge got its name |url=https://www.koin.com/news/where-we-live-how-the-marquam-bridge-got-its-name/ |website=KOIN.com |access-date=July 10, 2022 |date=October 23, 2017}}</ref>

The Marquam Bridge was built with economy in mind and the public at large reacted unfavorably to the structure's bland aesthetics, which included a formal protest from the Portland Arts Commission.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wood |first=Sharon |title=The Portland Bridge Book |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Oregon Historical Society]] |date=2001 |isbn= 0-87595-211-9}}</ref> (In particular, it blocked the view of downtown from the Union Avenue Viaduct.) This led to public input in the design of the [[Fremont Bridge (Portland)|Fremont Bridge]].<ref name="hallman2015"/> During Mayor [[Vera Katz]]'s State of the City address in 2001, she said, "It’s like having the [[Berlin Wall]] dividing east and west, with all the subtle charm of the [[Daytona 500]] smack dab in the middle of our city."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Don |newspaper=[[Portland Tribune]] |date=January 18, 2002 |title=East-side story |page=2 |url=http://www.riverfrontforpeople.org/media/012002_tribune.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011081739/http://www.riverfrontforpeople.org/media/012002_tribune.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 11, 2006 |access-date=May 23, 2015}}</ref> The bridge crosses over and runs parallel to parts of the now named [[Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade]].

==Future==
[[File:Marquam Bridge Portland.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A view of the bridge at dusk]]
Options to replace the bridge historically considered have been to reroute [[Interstate 5|I-5]] over the existing [[Interstate 405 (Oregon)|I-405]] alignment, connecting [[Interstate 84 (west)|I-84]] to I-5 at the [[Fremont Bridge (Portland)|Fremont Bridge]] interchange, following the [[U.S. Route 30 in Oregon|US 30]] alignment, and removing the Marquam permanently. Another option would build a tunnel under the Willamette River approximately following the existing I-5 alignment, and remove the Marquam Bridge permanently.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Proposals have been made to replace the Eastbank Freeway portion of I-5 with a tunnel, connecting with the existing alignment at the Marquam Bridge and the [[Rose Quarter]]. This would free up space along the Willamette River for development.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Maus |first1=Jonathan |title=Adams releases I-5 tunnel concept plan for public comment |url=http://bikeportland.org/2012/04/06/adams-releases-i-5-tunnel-concept-plan-for-public-comment-70050 |access-date=August 16, 2015 |work=Bike Portland |date=April 6, 2012}}</ref> 

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|Transport}}
*{{Portal-inline|Engineering}}
*{{Portal-inline|Oregon}}
*[[List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon]]
*[[List of crossings of the Willamette River]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<div style="float:right">
{{Commons category}}
</div>
*{{HAER |survey=OR-106 |id=or0476 |title=Marquam Bridge, Spanning Willamette River at Interstate Highway 5, Portland, Multnomah County, OR |photos=12 |color=1 |data=12 |cap=2}}
*{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728115848/http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?a=24798&c=27928|date=July 28, 2012|title=Historical photo of construction}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060613233637/http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TDATA/tsm/tvt.shtml ODOT: Trans Dev – Transportation Data Traffic Counting Program]
*{{Structurae|id=20005467|title=Marquam Bridge}}
*{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306181412/http://www.pixelmap.com/sl_bridge_pdx.html#marquam|date=March 6, 2016|title=Photo gallery of the completed Marquam Bridge}}

{{Bridges of Portland, Oregon}}
{{Brooklyn, Portland, Oregon}}
{{Crossings navbox
|structure       = Crossings
|place           = [[Willamette River]]
|bridge          = Marquam Bridge
|bridge signs    = [[File:I-5 (big).svg|20px]]
|upstream        = [[Tilikum Crossing]]
|upstream signs  =
|downstream      = [[Hawthorne Bridge]]
|downstream signs =
}}

{{South Portland, Portland, Oregon}}

[[Category:1966 establishments in Oregon]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1966]]
[[Category:Bridges in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Bridges on the Interstate Highway System]]
[[Category:Bridges over the Willamette River]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon]]
[[Category:Interstate 5]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Oregon]]
[[Category:Brooklyn, Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:South Portland, Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Steel bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Cantilever bridges in the United States]]