The
Ross Island Bridge was opened in 1926 to accommodate Portland's
burgeoning private automobile traffic. It was designed by Gustav
Lindenthal of New York City and, like his Queensboro Bridge across
the East River in NYC, it is a semi-continuous cantilever structure.
There are steel truss anchor arms connected to points on shore,
but there is no central suspended span connecting them. Instead
those anchor arms support truss panels which project out (cantilever)
from piers to the center.
While
it's not an arch bridge as many may think, it is an aquaduct which
many don't notice. Two 24-inch mains on the bridge convey millions
of gallons of water from the Bull Run Reservoir east of town to
Portland's west side.