This review is for the Marquam Bridge or what I like to call Portland's concrete beast cutting straight through downtown. First things first: this is a double-decker monster. Northbound rides the top, southbound ducks underneath, and if you're not paying attention, this bridge will humble you real quick. You don't just drive it you navigate it. Lanes split, merge, and shift like a shell game, and if you need to exit, you better be in position early... or you're taking the scenic tour whether you planned to or not. Built back in 1966, this thing came in hot as Portland's first double-deck freeway bridge, slapped together for about $14 million and designed purely for function over beauty. And it shows. No frills, no charm just raw steel and purpose. Today, it's the busiest bridge in Oregon, hauling well over 140,000 cars a day like it's got something to prove. But here's the flip side step back and look at it from downtown, and it's massive. Not pretty, not elegant just imposing. Roads feeding into it from every direction, stacked layers of traffic moving like arteries through the city. And somehow, despite all that chaos, it sits high enough that the roar fades out. You see it more than you hear it, like a giant quietly doing its job. It's not the bridge you fall in love with. It's the one you learn to respect. read more

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I always get hit with a bit of anxiety when I have to traverse the Marquam Bridge. Because I rarely drive anymore, I feel like I'm always in the wrong lane at the last minute and the signs aren't that great. Secondly, aesthetically, it's the least pleasing bridge in Portland. Planning for the bridge began in 1956 but construction on the double-deck, cantilever bridge finished in February 1966. It linked the northern end southbound interstate systems. It's a utilitarian, workhorse bridge. No frills. It's the busiest bridge in Oregon carrying over 200,000 vehicles a day on average. It's aesthetic was met with such disdain that future bridges such as the Fremont required public input. 2025 - Review # 16 read more

This double decker bridge that wraps around the south side of the city and over the Willamette River, connecting the west and east sides, is a workhorse! Moving so much Portland traffic during peak and off peak hours, it is hard to imagine getting across the Williamette River without this bridge. Yes, there are many other bridges, but this multi lane, double decker bridge with several access points carries the mother load of cars and trucks! The views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens is breathtaking - as are the views of the Marina and City - but it's best viewed by those in the passenger seat. Cars go fast, and they often stop without warnings, so paying attention and keeping ample space between you and others is important. And safe. There is no walking or bike path on the Marquam like there is on the Morrison, Burnside and Steal bridges. This bridge is for vehicles only. I have a love hate relationship with this bridge! I remember crossing it for the first time after arriving in Portland, flying in from NJ for a job interview. I was nervous crossing it, trying to find my way to 26W long before we had GPS. I was relying on a map from Hertz and it was nerve wracking. After accepting the job and relocating here, I spent way too many nights over a 16 year period commuting on this bridge, hitting so much traffic while trying to get home to the East side. So much wasted time! Many nights missing my class at the gym or being late for dinner plans. So much frustration inching my way home after a long hard day of work. Often I would lose my patience and get off downtown and meet friends for happy hour just so I could finish the remainder of my commute home without so many cars! It was impossible to predict the traffic. Some days I could make the drive in 25 minutes; other times an hour and 45 minutes And everything in between. No rhyme or reason. Not only is the traffic so unpredictable, it always seems to be going east. I've rarely hit traffic heading west and this makes zero sense. Most cities have a reverse commute between morning and evening, but the Marquam always has traffic heading west! Defies logic. This is where the hate part comes in! Now that I no longer work on the west side or live on the east side, the Marquam is a backdrop to evenings spent on my balcony sipping wine, the cars providing a soft hum of white noise that now brings a soothing feeling, vastly different than the stress of being stuck in traffic. It also provides a stunning backdrop for my daily walks where I view this bridge from every direction - north, south, east west - and even from above and below at water level. This is where the love part comes in! Love it or hate it, it's part of my daily life and no way to function without it! read more

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Portland the city of bridges . It's alway fun to drive over bridges, enjoy the view from across the way. Drove over it to get here. read more

Marquam Bridge - I see a submarine - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Yelp wants me to review a bridge... Well it's two-decker really tall bridge that made of steel... The bridge sucks during rush hour traffic in both directions. If you are heading south, you need to be in the right lanes and vise versa. You have a nice view of the city driving the bridge. read more

The Marquam Bridge is the Freemont Bridge's fugly friend that only gets invited out on double-dates to make the Freemont Bridge look even sexier in comparison. While the Marquam bridge does its job of getting traffic on I-5 from one side of the Willamette to the other, it's seriously such an ugly edifice amidst what are otherwise character-filled bridges. The bridge itself is a basic double-decker that's tall enough for all ships to cruise underneath, and on the west side is connected to both I-5 ande I-405 by a tangled network of ramps that are sorely in need of a good cleaning and a paint job. Set in an otherwise picturesque portion of south waterfront, this eyesore of a conveyance serves a very utilitarian purpose in a very unflattering way. That said, it's never dropped me or my car into the river below, and for that, I award this landmark 3-stars. read more

Marquam Bridge - Photo by atul666 taken from Flickr under full CC licensing - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Had no idea this was reviewable, makes me wonder what else is. It's my least favorite bridge as it represents the rush hour, concrete jungle era. There's nothing stylistic about it. I'm also a little wary when driving northbound then trying to merge at the top to I84. read more

Marquam Bridge (1966) Named for P. A. Marquam, a county judge, this four-lane, double-decker monstrosity is also known as the I-5 Bridge. The much-needed span is not one of Portland's prettiest bridges, but the view should not be missed. Get the most sensational panorama from the eastbound lanes. Keep your eyes peeled--at 55 mph, the scene practically flashes before you. And be careful: bridge traffic is often dense and dangerous. read more

The Marquam is a big ugly workhorse of a bridge. Two levels with several off ramps... It gets the job done but with little style, It carries I-5 across the Willamette high up and at a long angle. There are great views from up there for the non-drivers. My earliest memories of it were of hearing my mother complain about having to cross it. She hated the bridge. Still even as ugly as it is, it gets the job done. I would, however hate to be up there in an earthquake. read more

3.5 STARS I never knew Portland was called "Bridge City" until I started living here. With all these AKA's, I just knew the city as the "City of Roses". There are about 11 bridges that connect between the East and West side of town that crosses over the Willamette River. After living here for a couple of years and learning how to use a smart phone to "check-in", I was able to learn the names of each of the bridges. MARQUAM BRIDGE (Est. 1966) For all who live on the West side of PDX and 'burbs (Hillsboro & Beaverton), you may encounter the Marquam Bridge if you are heading towards PDX airport, NE or SE areas of Portland. ***Side Note: Headed to the Portland's airport (PDX) and you're coming from the West? Take 26E, 405S, 5N, 84E, 205N and exit 24A Airport Way.*** Just like the Fremont Bridge, the Marquam is a double-decker bridge that also has phenomenal views (but Fremont has better views IMHO). The upper deck headed towards PDX, while the lower deck heads towards the suburbs. It's quite tall, that a bunch of ships can cruise through. VIEWS On a clear day, you can see Mt. Hood, the other bridges and the city itself. On a cloudy day, the buildings and parts of the city stand out. On a rainy day, you can see what Portland typically looks like. But caution while driving since it can be quite slippery on the road. On a foggy day, the fog isn't that thick, but it's cool how you can see some of the building just peak through. TRAFFIC During rush hour mornings and mid-afternoons, towards each end of the bridge, there's a bunch of traffic. Caution that some lanes merge with the 405/5 and some lanes lead for you to exit. When there's no traffic, I recommend not driving more than 75 since one part of the bridge is curved (although speed limit is 55 on the bridge, I like to *zoom*zoom* =X). I'm always passing through here, rain or shine, cloudy or foggy; the views make it one of my fave bridges. read more

Alright, I'm going to go with a 3.5 star rating for the Marquam Bridge. First off, did you even know you could review this thing? The possibilities never end with Yelp! On to the review.... The double decker Marquam Bridge is my favorite part of going to and coming from work. I take HWY 26 E ,405 N, I-5 N, 84 E and visa versa. I go into work at many different times. When I put in OT, I will cross the Marquam anywhere from 5:30 am to 7:15 pm Mon-Fri. The mornings are my favorite part of the drive. There are many different scenes in the mornings... Foggy: At times you cant see anything to the N, S, E, or W. Just pure THICK fog....it's kinda cool. Rainy: The classic view Prestine: This is my favorite scene. Going over the bridge, seeing the tall buildings, looking at Mt. Hood and St. Helens, I simply love it. Late night/Pre-Sunrise: This one is pretty cool too...I drove over the other AM at about 5:40am, the moon was full, reflecting off the water, sitting just on top of the buildings...it was quite a view. I wished I could stop in the middle of the road and take picture...it was post card material. The bridge can be a pain when it comes to traffic, but again, I miss most of it due to my times of heading to work. It could be better, it could be worse....3.5 stars! read more

This bridge is too high if you are afraid of heights. It also seems structurally unsound in many places.

Oh shoot...another bridge review...what to say... This one is actually easier than most. The Good: Great views of the city heading northbound. Can be faster than other options for getting from Point A to Point B. The Bad: Not that visually appealing. Can have terribly slow traffic at times. Could be deadly if caught in such traffic during our predicted HUGE earthquake. read more

Ok Yelp, this bridge is not located 9 miles south of the river, please fix this location so I can actually check in when I'm driving over it and not 9 miles south of it. read more

This is probably our most traveled on bridge. I think it's best that way since I think this is one of the most boring to look at. So might as well be on the boring one looking at the cool ones right? Sometimes you even get a spectacular view of Mt. Hood! It gets us from west to east, even east to west! Just not necessarily fast. read more

I never knew that one could review a piece of interstate highway infrastructure... how cool is that?! The double-decker bridge was one of my favorite attractions whenever we passed through the good ol' Rose City. Of course we always commuted first from I-5 SB to US 26 WB and vice versa, on our way to the coast. Who could argue with the beautiful panoramic views of the skyline as a reminder that you are in the City of Portland. However, the driver should never partake in such views as one wrong move could cause an astronomical mess. read more

I agree with Don B. The Marquam Bridge is just brutal. This is where function trumps form. It's probably the highest traffic volume bridge in Portland. It does have some nice views for passengers of Tom McCall Park, but like I said this one ain't pretty. It's just a huge traffic moving behemoth. read more

''I see some Negatives here for some unknown reason to me as I haven't a clue why?'' I cross this Bridge always when heading south on I-5 and again returning!'' ''The bridge is great quick and fast especially when heading north to Washington my home! Portland is the overgrown Megalopolis always looks best when it is in my rear view mirror anyway I have to say?" 5 stars!***** ''Thank you'' read more

Every time I drive this bridge, I think about the double stacked bridge in the 1989 San Francisco-Oakland earthquake and how my friend went walking on it afterwards to see the damage, only to report back to us that he indeed saw a severed head....so, cheers! read more