Google Street View: captured September 2024.

The first Steel Bridge was located further north than the current bridge and aligned with Holladay Street on the east side. Quite remarkably, this short section of narrow gauge streetcar track that led to the bridge approach is still extant in the car park between the Yellow Line Interstate/Rose Quarter MAX station and the river. I believe there are more visible remnants closer to the river, but they are currently within the boundaries of the “Right 2 Dream Too” camp.

Due to the relatively early abandonment of this section of track (1912), I believe this may be the oldest exposed streetcar track left in Portland. I speculate that the track survived because the remaining stub was used to hold cars for temporary storage and staging.

An aerial photograph from 1956 shows the east side approach to the first Steel Bridge at the bottom right, with the streetcar track still clearly visible on it. Photo: Portland City Archives.