Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Interstate 205 Bridge"
Includes ... Interstate 205 Bridge ... Glenn Jackson Bridge ... Government Island ...
Image, 2004, Interstate 205 and Government Island, from Rocky Butte, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Interstate 205 and Government Island, from Rocky Butte, Oregon. Image taken October 14, 2004.


Interstate 205 Bridge (Glenn Jackson Bridge) ...
In 1977 groundbreaking began on the "Glenn Jackson Bridge" connecting Vancouver, Washington, to Portland, Oregon. On December 15, 1983, the first cars crossed the "Interstate 205 Bridge". The bridge traverses Government Island. Total bridge length is 11,750 feet (a little over 2 miles), with the north channel section (Washington State to Government Island), 7,460 feet, the Government Island section, 1,170 feet, and the south channel section (Government Island to Oregon), 3,120 feet. Glenn L. Jackson, for whom the bridge was named, was the Oregon Department of Transportation Commissioner from 1959 to 1979. On November 15, 1977, the Oregon Transportation Commission named the I-205 bridge after their chairman, the only time know where ODOT named a bridge for someone who was not yet deceased. Glenn Jackson died June 20, 1980.

Image, 2004, Underneath the Interstate 205 Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Under the Interstate 205 Bridge. From the Washington shore looking towards Government Island. Image taken December 18, 2004.


The Locale ...
The Glenn Jackson Bridge crosses Government Island near the downstream end of the largest of the island complex.

Upstream on the Washington side is the Vancouver Trout Hatchery and the small community of Fishers Landing. Downstream on the Washington side is Ellsworth, Image/Russell Landing, and Lieser Point.

Upstream on the Oregon side is Blue and Fairview Lakes and Chinook Landing. Downstream on the Oregon side is the Portland International Airport.


Views from Airliner ...

Image, 2010, Interstate 205 Bridge, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Interstate 205 Bridge crosses Government Island, as seen from airliner landing at PDX. Day overcast and drizzly. Image taken October 10, 2010.
Image, 2012, Interstate 205 and Government Island, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Interstate 205 and Government Island. View from airliner heading east from PDX. Mid afternoon, clouds, gray, and drizzle. Image taken April 24, 2012.


Views of the Interstate 205 Bridge ...

Image, 2005, View north from Rocky Butte, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		View north to Washington State, from Rocky Butte, Oregon. Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River, Government Island, and the Interstate 205 Bridge are all in this view looking north from Rocky Butte. Image taken June 15, 2005.
Image, 2003, Interstate 205 Bridge and Government Island, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Government Island and the Interstate 205 Bridge. Government Island as seen from Marine Drive, Oregon. Image taken May 29, 2003.
Image, 2003, Interstate 205 Bridge and Mount Hood, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Columbia River, Interstate 205 Bridge, and Mount Hood, Oregon. Downstream side of the Interstate 205 Bridge as seen from Marine Drive, Oregon. Government Island is to the left and the Oregon banks of the Columbia River are to the right. Mount Hood, Oregon, is in the background. Image taken July 5, 2003.
Image, 2005, Beach at Fishers Landing, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Beach, Fishers Landing, Washington. Interstate 205 Bridge is in the background. Image taken November 23, 2005.
Image, 2004, Mount Hood, Oregon, from Ryan Point, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Mount Hood, Oregon, and the Interstate 205 Bridge, from Ryan Point, Washington. Image taken December 18, 2004.
Image, 2006, Tidewater Cove, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Washington shoreline as seen from Tidewater Cove. Mount Hood is in the background with the Interstate 205 Bridge in the middleground. Image taken October 9, 2006.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, November 4, 1805 ...



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*River Miles [RM] are approximate, in statute miles, and were determined from USGS topo maps, obtained from NOAA nautical charts, or obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, 2003

Sources:
  • "Columbian.com" website, Special Features, "Reflections, I-205 Bridge ready", 2004;
  • Oregon State Department of Transportation website, 2004;


All Lewis and Clark quotations from Gary Moulton editions of the Lewis and Clark Journals, University of Nebraska Press, all attempts have been made to type the quotations exactly as in the Moulton editions, however typing errors introduced by this web author cannot be ruled out; location interpretation from variety of sources, including this website author.
/Regions/Places/interstate-205_bridge.html
May 2012