"The bridge was charcoal black at the time and not the light rosy red as it is now. It was painted the latter color back in the late 50s or early 60s after the trolleys went out of service. Also, the Steel Bridge, which IS black, has towers which carry the counterweights.

"I used to travel the Broadway Bridge via Interstate Avenue on the old Vancouver-Portland Bus Company line to work. Back in the 60s the overhead trolley wires were still attached to the girders with wood blocks. They were finally removed in about 1972. There were still some of the green power poles near Memorial Coliseum on the curve sweeping down on the approach to the northbound lanes of Interstate Avenue beneath the Broadway Bridge. They, too, were removed in the early 70s."