In its latest annual chat with the City Council, the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission urged the city to find suicide prevention devices that are more compatible with the elegant design of the historic Vista Avenue Bridge.
After the Landmarks Commission’s presentation seeking a more attractive solution, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, who is in charge of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said, “I’ll make sure my team works on it.” But that doesn’t mean anything will happen soon.
Design and construction of the Vista Avenue Viaduct, as it was originally called, was an impressive feat for Portland. The arched concrete structure was designed by Fred T. Fowler, who graduated from the University of Oregon in 1912 and became Portland’s bridge engineer in 1921. The city government paid half of the $197,000 construction costs, with Southwest residents taxing themselves for one fourth of the bill. Portland Electric Power Co., which operated the Council Crest streetcar line, added the remaining fourth.
Creating suicide barriers that would be compatible with the classical detailing on the Vista Avenue Bridge would be a challenging assignment, indeed. Someday, perhaps motorists and pedestrians high above Canyon Lane (as it was first known) will be able to enjoy a more attractive solution created by bright minds.
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An important point not mentioned here is that the fence and its mounting system is causing significant deterioration to the bridge that will be hugely costly to repair. Debris collects and rots between the fence and the bridge to the extent that plants/thick moss grows on the surface.
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