Check out latest designs of new carfree bridge over Columbia Blvd – BikePortland

The design of the new Willamette Greenway Trail Bridge over Columbia Boulevard in north Portland was revealed by Portland Parks and Recreation at an open house late last month. New renderings show a structure that will span across the road with transparent fencing and lighting that will make the bridge safer to use at night.

Parks’ Bridge Over Columbia project was on hold for several years as the city ironed out some funding wrinkles. Now it’s full steam ahead and the new drawings give us our best view yet on what to expect.

This project, estimated to cost $11-$15 million, will build a half-mile of new paved path inside Chimney Park (just north of Pier Park). That path will connect to a new bridge that will span over Columbia Blvd on a gentle grade. After coming off the bridge, riders will continue on the new path, cross a Union Pacific Railroad track, and then continue northeast to the edge of the North Columbia Slough.

An existing bridge over the slough (owned by Metro) will eventually connect the new path to another future path that will wind two miles around the outside edge of Metro’s St Johns Prairie (a 244-acre former landfill). At the northern tip of the Prairie, Metro and their partners are already planning another new bridge that will ultimately connect to an existing (although heavily damaged and in need of repair) path that leads to Kelley Point Park.

Check out more of the open house materials below:

This project marks very exciting steps forward for the NP Greenway that will eventually connect the Eastbank Esplanade to Kelley Point Park. Parks expects to finish design next year and build the project in 2027-2028. For more information, see the project website.