Pier B Pedestrian Bridge Works Like a Rollercoaster!

Did you know that this bridge is the first of its kind? Spanning 35 feet, connecting Pier B Resort and Hotel with Bayfront Festival Park, this retracting bridge offers water access to the hotel and restaurant guests.

The historic appearance of a railroad trestle was integrated into the bridge, decked with three-inch Douglas Fir planks sourced directly from Oregon, to recreate the industrial heritage of this unique waterfront property. We incorporated a 20ft long automated steel and timber ramp for pedestrian accessibility, maintaining ADA compliance.

The unique design utilizes a series of large roller assemblies and steel frames to encapsulate the bridge rails, much like a rollercoaster! This bridge is opened and closed by means of roller chain, driven by a pair of gearboxes and electric motors connected to a common shaft. Each gearbox and chain is designed to take the full load of the bridge to provide a redundant system in the event of a gearbox or chain failure, creating continuous and safe bridge usage regardless of the failure event.

Watch our video or visit the bridge today!