Skip Navigation

Cable Stay Type

Cable Stay Type

Cable-stayed bridge with bascule section, central segments raised, spanning a body of water.
Visual Aesthetics
  • Dominant feature: Vertical towers
  • Form/Profile: Tower with cable lines
  • Uniqueness: Some sub options unique to Portland
  • Style/Character: Sleek, modern, spire-like
  • Material: Concrete
Urban Context (how the bridge fits within the urban landscape)
  • Height: Slightly taller than The Yard (large building on the east end of the bridge)
  • Focus: Towers draw a more singular focus further east
Experience
  • On the bridge: Visual openness throughout with a sense of passing by or between towers
  • Views from I-5: Appears more airy or transparent. Cables that come down from the tower(s) are slender and easier to see through (whereas arches are thicker and more bold in appearance).
  • Views from river: Cables don't really impede or standout in the viewshed from a boat (whereas arches would be distinct within the viewshed of a boat)

Cable Stay Options

Goalpost Tower

Key Attributes
  • Dominant feature: Two vertical towers
  • Uniqueness: Similar to Tilikum Crossing
  • Experience on bridge: Visual openness throughout with a sense of passing by or between towers
  • View from I-5: Transparent and open
  • View from river: Appears further east; unobtrusive within view of river channel
Goalpost tower, traveling east on the Burnside Bridge.
Goalpost cable-stayed bridge over river, city buildings in the background.
View from the pedestrian and bicycle section of the bridge, looking east.
Goalpost cable stay bridge east of the I-5 corridor.

V Tower

Key Attributes
  • Dominant feature: Two externally leaning towers that create a V-shape
  • Uniqueness: Unique to Portland’s existing downtown bridges
  • Experience on bridge: Visual openness throughout with a sense of passing by or between towers
  • View from I-5: Transparent and open
  • View from river: Appears further east; unobtrusive within view of river channel
V tower, traveling east on the Burnside Bridge.
V tower cable-stayed bridge over river, city buildings in the background.
View from the pedestrian and bicycle section of the bridge, looking east.
V tower cable stay bridge east of the I-5 corridor.

Inverted-Y Tower

Key Attributes
  • Dominant feature: Triangular shaped tower that extends to a single column
  • Uniqueness: Unique to Portland
  • Experience on bridge: Visual openness with sense of gateway passage under tower
  • View from I-5: Transparent and open
  • View from river: Appears further east; unobtrusive within view of river channel
Inverted-Y tower, traveling east on the Burnside Bridge.
Inverted-Y tower cable-stayed bridge over river, city buildings in the background.
View from the pedestrian and bicycle section of the bridge, looking east.
Inverted-Y tower cable stay bridge east of the I-5 corridor.

Check out more comparison views between the Cable Stay and Tied Arch.

Comparison of bridge types
Scroll to top of page.