Word from ODOT is that effectively immediately the bike path/sidewalk on the east side of the I-5 bridge is now closed to all bike and pedestrian traffic.
Here’s the official advisory from ODOT’s community affairs office:
bridge to Vancouver.
(File photo)
A broken gate on the pedestrian walkway along the northbound Interstate Bridge (the east side) has forced ODOT maintenance crews to close the walkway. While repairs take place, bicyclists and pedestrians should use the southbound walkway (on the west side). Since the narrow walkway will be accommodating traffic in both directions, bicyclists are advised to travel very cautiously on the southbound walkway; traffic will be coming at you.
The broken gate normally closes sidewalk access within the lift span section of the bridge when the bridge lifts for river traffic. We don’t know yet how long the walkway will be closed, but a preliminary estimate suggests at least two weeks.
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Great…it\’s all falling apart now. Cars and trucks have a hard enough time getting over, now bikes and peds.?
At least you can\’t drive a truck up the bike lane on this one.
Imagine if they shut down the northbound motor vehicle lanes of the I-5 bridge…
I\’m guessing it\’d be fixed in less than two weeks.
Aw, that\’s the fun side! It\’s just a little narrower so you feel like you\’re going to lose your knuckles coasting down the slope. And then you get to slalom through the tight spots, too, with those electrical cords sticking out that look like they\’ll snag you on the way by.
This really doesn\’t change how people travel on the paths. Almost all the bikes I see go against traffic anyway. I must be the of the few that ride with traffic.
Thanks for posting this! I have been wondering what was up with the bridge all week.
There is a sign that says \”Sidewalk Closed\” but no further information.
Thanks to Basil (ODOT) for sharing this news with local riders…in a very responsive way!!
Versus the bad old days when a closure just happened…without notice and it could be days before one would hear what was going on with an ODOT bike ped bridge closure.
Other than when the bridge was being repainted (1999-2000?)…and the path was closed for a year+…these maintenance closures tend to happen once a year. This can be due to a repair within the pathway (like today\’s closure) and to a repair outside the pathway…but they need to store/stage their equipment and efforts from the path onto/above the roadway.
This thus becomes another issue to consider in the future design of the I-5 bridge…a bridge pathway network that can allow for maintenance and repairs while still being accessible to bikes and peds.
The single [as now] proposed pathway makes it more difficult to keep it open to bike and ped traffic under adverse conditions. Full closure is not helpful as the detour to 205 would not be accessible and a van shuttle not feasible for 24/7 service.
Check out http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org for more information on the design of the future bridge.
Transportation Services
City of Vancouver
I went out there this AM to post copies of ODOTs press release on this closure.
(For those without internet access to this site.)
thanks for the heads-up.