The St. John's Bridge is an asphalt bridge which spans the Willamette River between the St. Johns Church and the Northwest Industrial Area in Portland, Oregon. It carries the US Routes 30 Bypass over the Willamette. The bridge is constructed of prefabricated panels and is covered with a tarpaulin to protect it from the elements and from any vandalism. The bridge is approximately seventy-five feet in length and twenty-four feet wide. It has a sidewalk and pedestrian walkway on one side. On the other, there is a parking lot and an elevated concrete deck for motor vehicles to use. It is located next to the Southeast Portland International Airport. Information can be found here.
The bridge has many advantages over other bridges, such as its ease of construction, its safety and its easy maintenance. The materials used in the building of the bridge include light-weight aluminum and polyethylene. The bridge was designed by Portland architect Edward C. Ashford in 1960. Its main purpose is to serve as a bypass for the major freeway that runs through the Willamette Valley. The bridge does not affect the way traffic travels through the rest of the highway because it is on an elevated level above the roadway. When traffic passes through the bridge, it will pass under the pedestrian walkway, which is covered with tarpaulin. See here for information about Tilikum Crossing Bridge.
The St. John's Bridge serves as a gateway for many Portland residents to the rest of the city. The bridge serves as a connecting point between downtown Portland International Airport, which is located directly to the north. It also connects the University of Portland with Southwest Portland and Southeast Portland International Airport. The bridge is the only means of crossing the Willamette between these areas, which makes the bridge one of the most important transportation links in the region. It is used heavily by many people to get to their homes in Portland.
