Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge

The Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge spans the Willamette River connecting Lake Oswego with Oak Grove through two main truss spans. The structure showcases different construction methods, including truss spans, plate girders, and timber trestles.

The bridge was completed in 1910 as a Southern Pacific Company project to create a railway route on the edge of Portland. This bypass route helped reduce train traffic through downtown.

The bridge represents early twentieth-century engineering methods with its combination of truss spans, deck plate girders, and open-deck trestles.

Train service on the bridge is now limited, with the Portland and Western Railroad operating occasional freight movements. The structure can be viewed from nearby riverbank access points and parks along the Willamette.

One section of the bridge includes a 50-foot deck plate girder originally built in 1900 that was relocated and installed on the Lake Oswego side in 1931. This older component shows how railroad infrastructure evolved through reuse and adaptation.

Location: Oregon

Official opening: 1910

GPS coordinates: 45.42510,-122.65500

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:43