(Photo: Chad Berkley)
Erosion of the soil beneath a 55-foot section of the Springwater multi-use path on the Willamette River just south of downtown Portland has worsened due to weekend rains and now the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau says closure is a “possibility.”
Last week we shared that the path had been damaged by erosion and Parks had placed cones advising people to steer (and walk) clear of the edge. Apparently the plentiful weekend rains have taken a toll. This morning we received tips from two readers that the damage had worsened.
Brent L. rode past the area highlighted in our post (which is about one mile south of SE Ivon where the path begins) and says he noticed, “substantially more of the bank had fallen into the river.”
Another reader, Rob W., called in to echo that observation. “A lot has changed [since last week]. I think the whole bike path and maybe the railroad is in trouble.”
Here are a few more photos taken April 2nd at around 6:00 pm by reader Rob Walton:
Reached about the erosion today, Parks spokesperson Mark Ross said, “PP&R is aware of the further erosion. We are working closely with a geotechnical engineer, and she tells us the trail is still safe for users at this time. We continue to monitor it daily for any changes that would warrant a complete trail closure, which is a possibility. Concurrently, the engineer is designing a fix for the failure.”
This stretch of the Springwater is a crucial link in the bike network as it carries traffic between the Sellwood neighborhood and downtown Portland. We’ll keep you posted if a closure occurs.