DESIGN Wildwood Trail/West Burnside Pedestrian Bridge
Portland Oregon
Portland's Wildwood Trail winds 30 miles through the forests of Forest Park, Washington Park, and Hoyt Arboretum, rarely crossing roads. The busiest road crossing is at West Burnside, a major city arterial, where runners and walkers must negotiate three lanes of heavy traffic with short sight lines. At the request of a local citizens group, Ed Carpenter developed the bridge design represented here, with consultation from KPFF Engineers. This project is currently the subject of funding efforts by various organizations. Carpenter is a daily Wildwood Trail runner and 40-year survivor of the crossing at West Burnside.
Carpenter's design evokes imagery of the sword ferns lining the entire length of the Wildwood Trail. In addition it strives to honor the following design objectives:
• Seamless experience for walkers/runners
• Fit into forest context
• Minimally intrusive
• Transparent/delicate
• Iconic/original
• Reasonable cost
• Off-site fabrication & quick erection
• Easy to maintain
Credits:
Design: Ed Carpenter 2012
Engineering: KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland OR
Dimensions: 180' x 12' x 8'
Materials: Welded, painted steel structure, galvanized steel deck grating .
Renderings: Curtis Pittman
Project Administration: Arleen Daugherty
See two videos on the project: http://www.edcarpenter.net/portfolio/0109.html