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Photographs by Evan Johnson
Children sprawl on the Morrison Bridge like a spilled box of crayons. Itâs 10 am on a Friday, and the Morrison opens, its great panels of
roadway swinging up and looming above the third-graders from North Clackamas Christian School.
The students lie on the asphalt, safely behind traffic barriers. When the bridge closes again, a red-headed boy with a Super Mario Bros. backpack rushes to the teacher and chaperones to report he had the best view ever.
"I got to lay on the bridge!" he says. "I got to lay on the bridge!"
Kids in Washington state visit the Space Needle, and on the coast they go to the Astoria Column. But when school kids learn about Portland's history—and the things that shape our city—they come to the bridges that cross the Willamette River.
It's all part of belonging to this place. To be a Portlander means falling in love with at least one of the city's bridges…
To see and read the full photo essay—including pictures not included in the print version—click here. (Android phones click here.)
Our quiz about Portland's bridges can be found here.
WWeek 2015