Contact:
Dylan Rivera, Portland Bureau of Transportation, 503-823-3723, dylan.rivera@portlandoregon.gov
Mike Pullen, Multnomah County Communications Office, 503-209-4111, mike.j.pullen@multco.us
Julie Gustafson, Portland Streetcar, 503-242-0084, julie@sojpdx.com
TRAFFIC ADVISORY:
Safety work to close Broadway Bridge sidewalks for bicycle, pedestrian use Tues. July 16 through early morning Fri. July 19
(PORTLAND, Ore.) – Work to maintain safety on sidewalks on the Broadway Bridge will require closing both sidewalks to the public from 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 16 until 5:30 a.m. on Friday.
The Broadway Bridge is on one of the busiest bike routes in Portland, carrying thousands of bicyclists a day. Signs will indicate bicycle and pedestrian traffic detours to the Steel Bridge. Cyclists are advised to expect delays and use alternate routes, including the Steel Bridge.
The closures are required for crews to repair the non-slip coating on bridge sidewalks. The coating was installed as part of the Central Loop extension of the Portland Streetcar. Flaws in the coating are being repaired at no cost to Portland Streetcar or the City of Portland.
To limit the inconvenience to the public during the work period, the City of Portland and the contractor performing the work agreed to a full closure of the sidewalks, 24 hours a day for three days, rather than a partial closure for five days. Crews are expected to finish before Friday morning rush hour, but the work is weather dependent and schedules may change.
Portland Streetcar service will not be affected by the weekday closures.
The public is advised to travel cautiously, observe all lane closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes.
The weekday sidewalk work is being coordinated with work by Multnomah County that will close the bridge on weekends for routine safety and operations inspections. During the weekend closures, bridge sidewalks will remain open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic, though there will likely be some short, intermittent closures when crews reposition equipment.
Closures of the bridge to motor vehicle traffic are scheduled for the following weekends:
· July 13-14, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· July 20-21, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· (If needed) July 27-28, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Portland Streetcar CL Line service will continue during the weekend bridge closures. Streetcars will run on the east side, from N Broadway/N Weidler and N Ross to OMSI and back, as well as along 10th and 11th avenues downtown. A bus bridge will shuttle streetcar riders across the Steel Bridge from the N Broadway and N Ross streetcar stop, continuing on NW Glisan to NW 10th Avenue and then north along the streetcar line to NW 10th and NW Northrup. Buses will then pick up passengers at NW 11th and NW Marshall and continue along the streetcar route to NW 11th and NW Everett where they will turn and cross the Steel Bridge, returning to the N Weidler and N Ross stop.
Service on the NS Line, which runs from Northwest Portland to South Waterfront, will not be affected. For more Streetcar information, visit www.portlandstreetcar.org.
The weekend closures are required for a bridge inspection that is conducted every two years, as required by federal rules.
The closures will not impact river traffic.
