Description The Marquam Bridge is a double deck cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 5 traffic across the Willamette River south of downtown Portland, Oregon. It is the busiest bridge in Oregon, carrying 135,600 vehicles a day as of 2004. The upper deck carries northbound traffic; the lower deck carries southbound traffic.It was built with economy in mind and the public reacted unfavorably to the structure's aesthetics, including a formal protest from the Portland Arts Commission. (In particular, it obliterated the view of downtown from the Union Avenue Viaduct.) This led to public input in the design of the Fremont Bridge. During Mayor Vera Katz's State of the City address in 2001, she said 'Its like having the Berlin Wall dividing east and west, with all the subtle charm of the Daytona 500 smack dab in the middle of our city.'
Chris Tolomei, Portland, Oregon Member Since November 2008 Artist Statement This gallery represents my personal photographic exploration of Portland, Oregon, at night in all its splendor and richness, seediness and neediness, glory and grittiness. It's an amazing and rain soaked little town. Come and explore it with me.