Multnomah County has erected work zone barriers at the eastern entrance of the northern path of the Hawthorne Bridge. Maintenance crews are repairing damage to the railing inflicted by a person who failed to maintain control of their automobile and rammed into it.
County spokesman Mike Pullen said the incident happened about a month ago in the wee hours of the morning (“after the bars closed,” he said). Someone traveling westbound failed to negotiate the turn and jumped up the tall curb and hit the railing. Pullen said the county had an operator on the bridge when it happened but the employee didn’t see the incident. Cameras on the bridge were unable to identify the car or the person driving it.
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Pullen said typically when someone damages a bridge the county sends them the bill to pay for it. But in this case since the person hasn’t been found, they’ll probably get stuck with the repair expenses (which are “not insignificant” Pullen said).
Crews will have to create a work platform on the underside of the bridge to make the repairs. A temporary barrier has been set up that takes up about a 20-inches of the 10-foot wide path. Bridge users should use extra caution while passing through this area until the work is done. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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