Portland, OR. — The Balch Gulch Bridge, which spans the Lower Macleay Trail in Northwest Portland, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its unique engineering and historic role in Portland’s early development.
The Oregon State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the nomination in June 2025, and the National Park Service approved it in September. Built in 1905, the bridge helped spur growth in the Willamette Heights neighborhood by extending streetcar service across Balch Creek, improving access during a period of rapid expansion coinciding with the Lewis and Clark Centennial.
The bridge is notable as the only surviving pin-connected deck truss bridge in Oregon, offering insight into early twentieth-century bridge construction methods. Its distinctive steel trusses—joined with flexible pin connections rather than rivets or bolts—reflect a transitional era in engineering.
In 2014, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) completed a major rehabilitation project that preserved the bridge’s historic trusses while upgrading sidewalks, decking, and handrails. The restoration earned PBOT a 2015 Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association.
PBOT Director Millicent Williams said, “It’s an honor to be the caretakers of this historic bridge and we are committed to maintaining its integrity.” The city recently launched another preservation effort to repaint the bridge and improve lighting for nighttime travelers.
The bridge’s listing means it will be recognized as significant to Oregon’s history and may qualify for preservation incentives, grants, and other protections under federal and state law.
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