A traffic advisory has just been released by Portland Streetcar Inc. and the City of Portland warning of traffic detours and a bike lane closure due to Streetcar Loop Project construction on Weidler, MLK, and Grand that is set to begin this Tuesday (1/4) and last for four weeks.
The work zone will be on NE Weidler from N. Ross to NE 1st Ave (see detour map below)s. For four weeks, NE Weidler will be narrowed to two vehicle lanes and, according to Portland Streetcar, “Due to the narrow roadway conditions, the bike lane on NE Weidler must be removed.”
To maintain bicycle traffic flow, the plan is to guide bicycle operators onto the sidewalk between Benton Avenue and the I-5 off-ramp near Victoria Avenue. Here’s another excerpt from the traffic advisory:
Cyclists will be guided to use the sidewalks between Benton Ave and the I-5 off ramp/Victoria Ave. Cyclists should be aware of and yield to pedestrians. Cyclists should use the crosswalk at pedestrian speeds at all intersections on Weidler. Extra care should be used to cross at Vancouver/Weidler, due to the high volume of right turning vehicles.
In addition, N. Vancouver will be closed from Tillamook to Broadway. If you are riding a bike toward downtown Portland you are encouraged to detour off of Vancouver and over to Flint to continue westbound. If you are headed southwest on Vancouver toward the Esplanade or Southeast Portland, you can use Vancouver, but here’s the warning:
“Cyclists… must cross with the pedestrian signal on the east side of Broadway/Vancouver as the traffic signal for Vancouver will be turned off. Cyclists must then move into the travel lanes between Broadway and Weidler to get to the bike lane south of Weidler. Heavy traffic congestion is expected in this area.”
Below are the detour maps (download PDF here):
