There's no wiggle room in Portland, Ore., regarding the aesthetics and geometry of the new cable-stayed Willamette River bridge that, at 1,750 ft, will be the country's longest mass-transit, non-car commuter crossing. All 78 of the 16-ft-long, cast-in-place bridge segments have such exacting requirements that each comes with a 577-page manual.
With an opening set for 2015, the crossing, with a 780-ft-long main span, will be the final link in a $1.49-billion, 7.3-mile Portland-Milwaukie light-rail line for the local transportation agency Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon (TriMet).The latest addition to the Willamette River's array of crossings will carry light rail, three bus lines and two 14-ft-wide bicycle and pedestrian paths but no cars.