The Eastbank Esplanade (officially Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade) is a pedestrian and bicycle path along the east shore of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1] Running through the Kerns, Buckman, and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods, it was conceived as an urban renewal project to rebuild the Interstate 5 bicycle bypass washed out by the Willamette Valley Flood of 1996. It was renamed for former Portland mayor Vera Katz in November 2004[1] and features a statue of her near the Hawthorne Bridge.
| Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade | |
|---|---|
 Pedestrian path facing North towards the Burnside Bridge | |
 | |
| Location | SE Water Ave. and Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°31′25″N 122°39′58″W / 45.523718°N 122.666149°W |
| Area | 10.69 acres (4.33 ha) |
| Opened | 2001 |
| Owned by | Portland Parks & Recreation |
Description
editThe project, designed by landscape architects Mayer/Reed, cost $30 million,[2] of which $10 million built a lower deck on the Steel Bridge.[1] The esplanade extends 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Steel Bridge (45°31′37″N 122°40′13″W / 45.526871°N 122.670403°W) to the Hawthorne Bridge (45°30′46″N 122°40′05″W / 45.512804°N 122.668059°W).[1] The south end connects to the Springwater Corridor, a rail trail that runs south to Sellwood, then east to Gresham, then south to Boring. The esplanade includes a 1,200-foot (370 m) floating walkway, the longest of its kind in the United States.[1] Connected to this is a 120-foot (37 m) public dock.[1] Thirteen markers along the esplanade correspond to the eastside street grid.
History
editConstruction began in October 1998, and the walkway was dedicated in May 2001.[1]
The esplanade was closed for 21 days due to high river levels in 2011, the first time it had been closed since it was built.[3]
On the same day in February 2015, two dead bodies were discovered along the esplanade. The events appear to be unrelated.[4][5][6]
Public art
editPublic artworks installed along the esplanade include Alluvial Wall, Echo Gate, the Ghost Ship sculpture, the statue of Vera Katz and Stack Stalk.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Eastbank Esplanade". City of Portland. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ "$30M pedestrian walkway project opens Friday". Daily Journal of Commerce. May 24, 2001. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ John Tierney (2011-06-20). "Eastbank Esplanade reopens after river levels drop". KATU. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
- ^ "2nd body found Thursday along Portland's Eastbank Esplanade, popular Willamette River path". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ "Man's body found on Willamette River bank near Eastbank Esplanade". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ "Police identify man found dead near Eastbank Esplanade; no signs of trauma or foul play". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
External links
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