Oregon City Bridge closure looms: Shuttles in place for bikers, walkers

As seen from the Oregon City side.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is set to close the Oregon City-West Linn Arch Bridge for two years starting next month. The project will renovate the 90-year old bridge but it will also cut off a key (especially for non-motorized traffic) Willamette River crossing.

ODOT has a detour in place for motor vehicles that will take them about one mile north to the I-205 Abernethy bridge. Since non-motorized traffic is illegal on I-205 (it’s a freeway) the closest, bike accessible crossings are the Sellwood Bridge eight miles north or the Canby Ferry, which is about nine miles south.

To mitigate the impact on non-motorized traffic, ODOT will run a free shuttle. Several other options — including allowing bicycle traffic on I-205 and a water taxi — were considered, but an ad-hoc group formed by ODOT decided that shuttles would be the best solution.

ODOT’s Community Affairs Coordinator Susan Hanson says regardless of state law, she feels the shuttle service (which is costing ODOT about $550,000) is preferable to freeway riding. “We felt the shuttle service we’ll provide gives people good service,” she said via telephone this morning, “It meets people’s needs in a way that’s more comfortable than riding across the [I-205] bridge.”

Hanson says the shuttle buses will have room for four bikes and will have a lift for people in wheelchairs. She estimates the trip (with loading time figured in) will take 20 minutes. Shuttles will begin operation on January 10th (about five days prior to the closure) and will be available Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm and on weekends from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm. Shuttle stops will be on 9th Street between Main and McLoughlin on the Oregon City side and at the existing TriMet stop on Highway 43 where it intersects with Willamette Falls Drive on the West Linn side.

When asked what will happen if a non-motorized user needs a shuttle outside of scheduled hours, Hanson said, “We did collect some data and these were the times that seemed to meet the vast majority of people’s needs.” She also noted that there is TriMet service in the area.

The bridge is set to close on Saturday, January 15th at 6:00 am and will be closed to all traffic for up to 24 months. More information at ArchRehab.com. You can also read more coverage on this project at our Oregon City Bridge Project story tag.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Wayne Myer
13 years ago

I knew this was coming, but… ooof. I wish that riding on I-205 was an option because whenever I ride through Oregon City, it is outside the shuttle hours.

On that note, I recall seeing a sign on I-205 Northbound, just past the Willamette crossing saying that all non-auto needed to exit. That led me to believe that bicycle could use I-205 from I-5 to that exit. Am I just smoking crack here?

Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson
13 years ago
Reply to  Wayne Myer

Nope, Jon seems to have forgotten that motorists are the privileged users, and bikes have a right to the road unless there’s an overwhelming safety concern necessitating a restriction.

noah
noah
13 years ago

734-020-0045 Prohibition of Non-Motorized Vehicles on Freeways

(1) Non-motorized vehicles are prohibited upon the following segments of freeways within the State of Oregon:
(a) Portland area:
(D) Interstate 205 (Hwy No. 64) northerly of the Overcrossing of the Oswego Highway No. 3, MP 8.82;

That means, yes, northbound cyclists have to exit right before the bridge, and southbound cyclists cannot enter I-205 before the bridge. So Jonathan’s second paragraph is technically wrong.

“It meets people’s needs in a way that’s more comfortable than riding across the [I-205] bridge”

There has to be a better explanation than the one this official is offering. The shuttle might certainly be provided for the sake of our comfort, but it can’t be just for our comfort that crossing the bridge was not made legal.

John Russell (jr98664)
13 years ago
Reply to  noah

Don’t forget section 2:
“(2) The closure of the above sections to bicycles and pedestrians shall become effective following the erection of adequate signing.”

Let’s just say that according to this section of the OAR, I cycled across the Abernethy Bridge perfectly legally on Sunday.

I’ve cycled across the Abernethy Bridge in both directions, and while not always necessarily legal, I’ve never had any trouble, either with other cars or with law enforcement. It may be narrow, but no narrower than a bike lane, and if you are fairly confident with riding in traffic, there shouldn’t be a problem, especially if you don’t try to cross any ramps.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  noah

Thanks Paul Johnson, noah, and others for checking my accuracy on this. I’m working on a follow-up to this story that I will post to the front page.

steved
steved
13 years ago

Twenty minutes to cross the Willamette via bus? It takes less then a minute by bike 🙂

BTW: The Canby Ferry is currently closed due to high water. It has been for couple weeks now.

Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson
13 years ago
Reply to  steved

Not that it’s a terribly good detour for Oregon City traffic anyway…

steved
steved
13 years ago
Reply to  Paul Johnson

True for the Oregon City to Portland commuters. I bike commute from LO to Canby. So Having the Ferry not running means detouring over the Oregon City or Boone Bridge.

Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson
13 years ago
Reply to  steved

Boone Bridge will still get you across the river faster than driving. Last I tried it, Wilsonville to Aurora takes an hour by car.

Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson
13 years ago

jon: It’s legal to ride on the freeways (or any other highway) in Oregon, except when explicitly posted otherwise. In fact, the Oregon City Bridge is part of the route for I205, since the 205 bridge is too narrow to safely allow bicycle traffic. Watch for the “BIKES MUST EXIT” sign next time you’re driving north.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=45.36162&lon=-122.60831&zoom=15&layers=C

CaptainKarma
13 years ago

$550,000?

suburban
suburban
13 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

O Yeah! how can they possible do this for only $750 per day, every day for two years? In many ways, Public Transportation is not the soul mate of the punctual cyclist, it is Taxi Cabs.

Velowocky
Velowocky
13 years ago

Too bad we can’t use the rail bridge that runs from Lake Oswego to Milwaukie to get to Oregon City. It’s going to be a LONG two years for those of us in LO/West Linn who regularly ride the Oregon City area. I can’t justify 40+ minutes for a two way shuttle ride.

DanS
DanS
13 years ago
Reply to  Velowocky

I know of some people who have run across this bridge, so it is do- able. Personally, I think that if they adapted this bridge to accommodate bike and ped traffic, it would solve the problem of riding from Lk O to Portland.

Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson
13 years ago
Reply to  DanS

The big “PEDESTRIANS PROHIBITED” sign nonwithstanding, eh?

Chris
Chris
13 years ago
Reply to  Paul Johnson

I think the trains that go across it should be the bigger warning! 🙂

Spiffy
Spiffy
13 years ago

what kind of shuttle? it better be able to carry long cargo bikes and trailers…

IdeaMan
IdeaMan
13 years ago

Why don’t they put in a temporary bike/walker ferry? The river is pretty narrow at that point. The current is probably strong enough to use a reaction ferry. Wouldn’t even need to power it.

Spiffy
Spiffy
13 years ago
Reply to  IdeaMan

I’d gladly help pedal it across the river…

jim
jim
13 years ago

why can’t the Army corp. put up a temporary bridge for peds and cyclists?

h
h
13 years ago

once I pedaled on the i-205 bridge SB from Gladstone to West Linn exit. not bad… I dont know about i-205 bridge NB but it looks iffy to me.

Steve Mayes
Steve Mayes
13 years ago

I’m a reporter in The Oregonian’s Oregon City bureau. I’m writing a story about the closure and I’d like to talk to cyclists who regularly use the OC-West Linn bridge to commute.

Thanks,
Steve Mayes
503-294-5916
smayes@oregonian.com