Bridge of the Gods (modern structure)
The Bridge of the Gods is a steel truss cantilever bridge that spans the Columbia River between Cascade Locks, Oregon, and Washington state near North Bonneville. It is approximately east of Portland, Oregon, and 4 miles upriver from the Bonneville Dam. It is a toll bridge operated by the Port of Cascade Locks.
The bridge was completed by the Wauna Toll Bridge Company and opened in 1926 at a length of. The higher river levels resulting from the construction of the Bonneville Dam required the bridge to be further elevated in 1940 and extended to its current length of. The Columbia River Bridge Company of Spokane, Washington, acquired ownership of the bridge in 1953 for $735,000. The Port of Cascade Locks Commission now operates the bridge.
The bridge is named after the historic geologic feature also known as Bridge of the Gods.
The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods, and the lowest elevation of the trail is on this bridge.
Onlookers in September 1927 saw Charles Lindbergh fly the Spirit of St. Louis from Portland low over the new bridge and then, in a bit of barnstorming, make a 180 degree turn and fly back under the bridge, continuing to the Portland Airport, then on Swan Island.
The bridge toll was increased to $2 per crossing due to the increased traffic on the bridge after the release of the 2014 film Wild.
