What the Upcoming Burnside Bridge Rebuild Project Means for the Iconic Burnside DIY Skatepark

Portland's Burnside Bridge is scheduled for a pretty significant rebuild in the next year or two, with construction expected to close it for several years. While this may cause some minor inconveniences for the local community, for skateboarders, it’s much heavier, as skateboarding's beloved Burnside Skatepark will also be affected.

Friend of TWS, ripping skater, content creator and all-around epic human, Zack Dowdy took it upon himself to roll up to the famed DIY to dig a little deeper and learn more about what the future looks like for this historic slab of cement. He basically made a mini documentary about Burnside's current situation and it's super interesting. Check it out:

The DIY spirit at Burnside has thrived for decades, inspiring countless similar projects across the globe and unarguably producing some of the heaviest skateboarders in the game. Not just anyone can step to the daunting walls of this place! Just being there and taking it all in has the potential to give you the chills.

But unfortunately, when the Burnside Bridge was originally built in 1926—long before the original crew started building under it in the early ’90s—modern earthquake safety regulations weren’t in place. By today’s standards, the bridge is a serious safety hazard for the surrounding community, especially if an earthquake actually hit! Pure chaos.

Related: TWS Vault: Jason Hernandez Ep 21 | Burnside "Are You Alright?"

It's all pretty heavy. Burnside is so much more than just a skatepark —it's a straight-up historic landmark in skateboarding! And while I fully understand the importance of the bridge reconstruction for the safety of the community, the actual thought of Burnside not existing—or even closing for multiple years—is sort of hard to fathom.

That said, everything is still up in the air for now. This is obviously a massive project with countless details that still need to be worked out. However, meetings are taking place, planning is underway, and soon enough, we’ll know what the future holds for Burnside. Keep those fingers crossed!

Related: Brent Atchley At Burnside

I'm stoked Zack was able to catch a few lines during his visit. If anything, let his video (and the news in general) inspire you to get up to Portland and see this historical place yourself! It should be on every skateboarder's bucket list—no questions asked. Thanks for the info, Zack! We'll do our best to post more as we learn more all the same.

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