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The Steel Bridge was awash with protesters today, attempting to (among other things) raise awareness of its “structurally deficient” status. The bridge is old, but before we consign it to the dustbin of history, let’s take a few moments to reflect on why the Steel Bridge is one of the neatest bridges in Bridgetown.

1. It’s a vertical lift bridge! The weights in the towers go down, and the middle part goes up. That’s actually really unusual. (a site for people who really like bridges) turns up a paltry 232 of them in These United States, and that’s including all of the old ones that have been replaced.
2. It’s very old! Ninety-nine years, to be exact, with a 100th birthday coming up. The Hawthorne Bridge gets all the glory as being the oldest extant bridge in Portland, but the Steel is right behind it as being the second-oldest vertical lift bridge in the U.S., after the Hawthorne.
3. It’s the second Steel Bridge! The first one opened in 1888 and was the first bridge made of steel on the west coast, hence the name. It was a double-decker bridge, like the present day Steel, but instead of using the vertical lift style, that was a swing-span bridge. The whole thing proved massive and unwieldy, and had to be replaced by a newer bridge that would bear its same name.
4. It has independently moving lifts! In fact, it’s the only double-decker bridge in the entire world where each bit can move independently. That thing where the Steel Bridge can move the bottom bit but keep the top steady? No other bridge can do that. The Steel Bridge’s independent counterweights are unique in the very literal sense of the word.
5. It has been on fire! In 1913 exhaust from a train ignited several timbers in the lower deck, and the bridge suddenly caught fire.
6. It has been (partially) underwater! The lower deck of the bridge is one of the lower bridge surfaces in Portland, so during the 1948 and 1996 floods, the lower deck was partially submerged, but still usable.
7. It can have lots of different vehicles on it at one time! The Steel Bridge could presumably have a boat underneath it, bicycles, pedestrians, and trains on the lower deck, light rail and cars on the upper deck, and a plane or helicopter flying above it. Presumably, you could also take a horse across. People have done that before. It’s one of the only places in the world where such a vast assortment of vehicles could be crammed into such a small space.

Recently, the bridge has been having some problems. Last year the lower deck had to be closed because of motor problems, and as noted in the main story, it’s been rated “structurally deficient” by the advocacy group Transportation for America. While the iconic and unique Portland bridge remains in service, there is no apparent solution to its potential long-term problems.