Two experts discuss details of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge

Monday, Feb. 3, 2014, 7 p.m. Free

Oregon Historical Society 1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon  97206

A new icon is being built across the Willamette River in Portland: a transit bridge that will connect eastside and westside, carrying light rail trains, buses, streetcars, cyclists and pedestrians. At more than 1,700 feet across, it will be the longest car-free bridge in the country.

The new bridge’s designer and architect, Donald MacDonald, and the chair of the Bridge Naming Committee, Chet Orloff, will talk about the design and naming of the new bridge on Monday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. at the Oregon Historical Society.

MacDonald will discuss his approach and considerations in designing the bridge. He’s been referred to as the “people’s architect” and a “visionary”—and the two majestic towers and soaring cables on the new bridge reflect those attributes. MacDonald has successfully completed designs for more than 35 bridges throughout the United States, and is the architect of the recently completed East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Every great bridge needs a great name, and Orloff will talk about the naming process, which for the first time has involved public input. He will discuss the criteria the Bridge Naming Committee is using to select the name, and how the four final names reflect the region’s history and culture and promise to connect and inspire us. Orloff is director emeritus of the Oregon History Society and a 22-year member of the Oregon Geographic Names Board. He also manages the Pamplin International Collection of Art and History and is an adjunct professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University. 

After the presentation, you are invited to discuss bridge names and related topics with Orloff and several bridge name committee members.