Bridge Of The Gods (modern Structure)
The bridge was completed by the Wauna Toll Bridge Company and opened in 1926 at a length of 1,127 feet (344 m). The higher river levels resulting from the construction of the Bonneville Dam required the bridge to be further elevated by 44 feet (13 m) in 1938 and extended to its current length of 1,858 feet (566 m). The Columbia River Bridge Company of Spokane, Washington, acquired ownership of the bridge in 1953 for $735,000 (equivalent to $8.37 million today). The Port of Cascade Locks purchased the bridge with $950,000 (or $9.69 million today) in revenue bonds, issued on November 1, 1961. The Port of Cascade Locks Commission owns and operates the bridge still today.
The bridge is named after the historic geologic feature also known as Bridge of the Gods.
The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods. The lowest elevation of the trail is about a mile north from the bridge at 110 feet (34 m).
Onlookers in September 1927 saw Charles Lindbergh fly the Spirit of St. Louis from Portland low over the new bridge and then, in a bit of barnstorming, make a 180 degree turn and fly back under the bridge, continuing to the Portland Airport, then on Swan Island.
For many years, the bridge toll was $1 per crossing; In 2016, it was raised to $2 due to the increased traffic after the release of the 2014 film Wild. The toll was increased to $3 in July, 2022.