The Interstate Bridge, Portland, USA 1963

This photograph captures a driver’s-eye view crossing the Interstate Bridge, the steel truss span that links Portland, Oregon with Vancouver, Washington over the Columbia River. The dense lattice of riveted green steel frames the road ahead, creating a tunnel-like rhythm of repeating beams and shadows—classic engineering of the early 20th century.

Overhead, three highway signs point the way: Seattle, Vancouver, and Camas, reflecting a young and rapidly developing Pacific Northwest still building its interstate identity just a few years after the federal highway system took shape. The fonts and arrow style are early freeway standards, predating the reflective green signs used later in the decade.

To the right, a weathered orange semi-truck shares the narrow roadway, reminding us that this was—and remains—a major commercial route. The roadway here is still modest by modern standards: two lanes, no shoulder, and only a simple steel railing separating traffic from the river far below.

Originally opened in 1917, the bridge was expanded with a second parallel span in 1958, making it one of the few twin-structure drawbridges in the U.S. By the early 1960s, it carried everything from family sedans to long-haul trucks, serving as the only highway link between Oregon and Washington until newer freeway infrastructure developed.

The scene feels both utilitarian and iconic: a working bridge at a time when the Pacific Northwest was still growing into the major corridor it is today. The combination of steel, signage, truck traffic, and open road captures a moment in American highway history when travel felt direct, mechanical, and refreshingly uncomplicated.