The Barbara Walker Crossing | Portland, OR

Improving Safety on the Wildwood Trail

  • Completion Date October 2019
  • Budget $3.2 M
  • Scale 190 Foot Bridge Span

The Barbara Walker Crossing, named in honor of a woman who spent her life advocating for Portland’s public greenspace, addresses a dangerous intersection where the Wildwood Trail crosses West Burnside. The Wildwood Trail stretches 30 miles through Washington Park and Forest Park in Portland and has been named a National Recreation Trail by the US Secretary of the Interior. The project was spearheaded by the Portland Parks Foundation, in cooperation with the City of Portland Parks & Recreation and Transportation bureaus. Funded by a highly successful crowdfunding campaign, along with private gifts, grants, and public funds, bridge construction began in March 2019, and was completed in October 2019.
 
The Barbara Walker Crossing won first place in the Transportation category and a People’s Choice award for the 2020 CODA Awards Top 100 Best Commissioned Art and Design projects. It also received the Landscape/Urban Development Award of Merit in the ENR Northwest 2020 Regional Best Projects awards and was awarded the Garden Club of America Civic Improvement Commendation from The Portland Garden Club.
 
Images courtesy of Ed Carpenter

SOJ Scope

  • Management of Planning, Design and Construction

Project Partners

  • Client:
    • Portland Parks Foundation
  • Engineer:
    • KPFF
  • Contractor:
    • R&H Construction
  • Bridge Design:
    • Ed Carpenter
  • Landscape Design:
    • Walker Macy
  • Environmental Permitting: 
    • Pacific Habitat Services