Green roof bridge to reduce carbon footprint and encourage eco-tourism.

Bridges are not mere road connectors anymore, an eco-conscious sees it as a powerful way to mitigate the effect of carbon emissions. William Badrick has suggested a park atop the Columbia River Crossing bridge planned between Portland and Vancouver. Calling his design the “green golden gate” bridge, the retired Portland architect who practices green design art claims that the bridge will behave as a replacement to an expensive stormwater treatment facility.

The 370,000 square feet park roof not only be a tool to capture all the rainfall that would otherwise go waste, but will also create public park space for the working-class neighborhoods on both sides of the river. It is also expected to open avenues for eco-tourism. Helping in reducing the bridge’s carbon footprint, the green roof would feature a small-gauge recycled plastic pipe sprinkler system powered by solar panels.