It carries U.S. Route 26 (Mount Hood Highway) across the river between southwest and southeast Portland.

The bridge opened in 1926 and was designed by Gustav Lindenthal and honors Oregon pioneer Sherry Ross.

There is a pedestrian walkway on the north side of the bridge, with no barrier between the sidewalk and the westbound right lane.

[6] The proposal was approved by the Multnomah County Commission, and repainting of the Ross Island Bridge was carried out in the summer of 1965.

[1] During the Great Depression, the bank of the Willamette near the Ross Island Bridge became the site of a Hooverville.

This same movement is done to reach US 26 east; US 26 west however has direct access to Route 99E north via 9th Avenue and Woodward Street.