Stephen Henderson

UNST 121 Prof. Bagley

12/2/13
The Bridge from Reality to My Life
My earliest memories of crossing bridges are full of the sights and sounds of Deception
Pass Bridge on Whidbey Island in Washington. Ive seen that bridge from more angles than I can
count, which is more than most can say. Ive been on top in a car, below in a boat, on my feet on
the beach, and even climbed down right by the large green steel supports on the south end. Its
by far the easiest bridge for me to recall at any time. It gave me an appreciation for the function
of bridges, but also for their beauty.
Deception Pass Bridge has been around as long as Ive been alive, but its still less than a
century old. The bridge was opened in 1935 after a long process of dreams that became realities
through the efforts of the state legislature, a private company from Seattle, and even the Federal
government. The original plans and model were laid out in 1909, although it wasnt until 1918
that the bridge idea gained much popularity. It was at this time that the bridge was promoted as
a necessary war effort. (Guss) However, the bridge would not be completed for the World War I
effort, but in 1921 a letter was drafted to Congress that did emphasize military importance. Then
in 1929 the Deception Pass Bridge Association was created, encouraging the passage of the 1929
Bridge Bill. Finally in 1934, construction began on the bridge. Less than one year later, under the
lead of Puget Construction Company and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the bridge
opened on July 31, 1935.
Ive always remembered that bridge with fond memories, so when I learned about the
Great Depression and the CCC in US History while living in Coronado California, I felt pretty
proud of the place I called home. But at the same time, there is another fantastic bridge that
connects downtown San Diego to Coronado. That is the San Diego Bay Bridge. Or as some call
it, Big Blue. I first crossed Big Blue in 2007 when I accompanied my parents on a trip to
Coronado for a week. I remember looking out over the San Diego Bay from my seat in our rental
car, and asking my dad to drive in the outside lane so I could really see it. He did, and Ill never
forget the feeling of looking over the edge. It was nothing I had ever experienced before.
The San Diego Bay Bridge is still younger than 50, although its approaching its half-
centennial in just a few years. The bridge was an obvious need to shorten travel between San
Diego and Coronado, but there was the issue of the San Diego Naval Base and all of its large
ships needing to travel north to exit the bay. A plan was developed for a bridge that could meet
the traffic needs of the two cities, while also allowing for the large US Navy ships to pass
underneath it. To this effect, the bridge is not a straight line from Coronado to the mainland,
rather, it parallels the mainland at first, and then curves back to meet land. The reason for this is
to create the necessary height to let ships through, but not being too steep for cars to ascend.
One of the features that makes the bridge truly beautiful is the design of its 30 concrete
piers. The principle architect, Robert Mosher, decided to exemplify San Diegos history and used
a mission-shaped arch, similar to those seen in all of the old Spanish missions in the area. The
bridge also used to be a toll bridge, for the purpose of paying off the $50 million that was put
into construction. The toll was eliminated in 2002, being the last toll bridge in southern
California to get rid of its toll. There is an annual 5k run put on by the US Navy that closes down
half the bridge, and this is the only time that pedestrians can legally be on the bridge on foot. I
was able to participate in that event once, and it truly was an amazing experience, to stand 200
feet above the water of the San Diego Bay, and look out at the awe-inspiring panoramic view.
Now that Im living in Portland, bridges are all over the place. With eight bridges
connecting directly into the downtown area, and one more in construction to extend the streetcar
service, Portland definitely deserves its nickname of Bridgetown. One of my favorites of the
bunch, and also the first bridge I ever crossed in Portland, is the Burnside Bridge.
The Burnside Bridge is the oldest of these three bridges, completed in 1926. It is the only
bridge spanning the Willamette to have had an architect assist in the design. Quite notably in
fact, Joseph Strauss designed the opening mechanism of Burnside Bridge, called the bascule. 11
years later Strauss would open his Golden Gate suspension bridge in San Francisco.
I have definitely had lots of exposure to some of Americas most beautiful bridges in my
life, and its a blessing to be able to travel and see everything I have. I cant pick a clear favorite
out of the three, the San Diego Bay Bridge, Deception Pass Bridge, and Burnside Bridge are all
too unique to be rated against each other. But they are most definitely my top three.

"City of Coronado, California." City of Coronado: San Diego-Coronado Bridge. Web. 2 Dec.
2013. http://www.coronado.ca.us/egov/docs/1206671591334.htm
Guss, Elizabeth. "History of Deception Pass Bridge." Deception Pass State Park and Deception
Pass Bridge History: Whidbey and Camano Islands. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
http://www.whidbeycamanoislands.com/thingstodo/arts_history/deception_pass/
"Multnomah County." Burnside Bridge. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
http://web.multco.us/bridges/burnside-bridge