(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
UPDATE, 5/13: The bridge has re-opened 39 days early! It is open as of 5/13.
A carfree bridge that connects north Portland neighborhoods to the Columbia Slough, Smith & Bybee Lakes, and many other destinations will close for 90 days starting March 25th.
The announcement was made today by the Bureau of Environmental Services. Here’s the official word:
The Inverness Force Main is an 11-mile pressure sewer that carries sewage from northeast Portland to the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plan. The 36-inch line splits into a 20-inch and a 30-inch pipe about two miles east of the plant. Both sections are suspended underneath the Columbia Slough Pedestrian Trail Bridge, which Environmental Services constructed. Repairs to the 30-inch pipe have been completed. Construction is about to begin to make repairs to the 20-inch pipe.
BIKE/PED TRAIL BRIDGE CLOSURE
The Columbia Slough Bike/Pedestrian Trail Bridge, located north of the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant, will be closed to make the sewer pipe repairs beneath the bridge. The closure will be 90 days beginning March 25, 2019. The bridge should reopen by June 23, 2019.
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If you need more information about this closure, contact Debbie Caselton at 503-823-2831 or email Debbie.Caselton@portlandoregon.gov (include “Inverness 20” in your voicemail or in the subject line of your email).
BES suggests a detour that uses Columbia Blvd and Argyle Street to connect to N Denver Ave where you can connect to the Slough paths at Schmeer Road. I know North Portland Road (to the west) is tempting because it’s direct and very close; but it’s a very dangerous place to ride a bike. Unless you are very confident and skilled, I strongly suggest avoiding it.
See our route advisory page for other bike route closures in the Portland area.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Should we be concerned that the BES project bike ped detour plan seems to be “incomplete”…as it does not facilitate west side circulation? This now worries me that their signage plan [review / or instructions to the contractor for bidding] may be underdeveloped too. (BES should remember that the closed route is used by a lot of families and novice cyclists.) Is anyone (Streets Trust, etc.) minding the farm?
And not have to smell sewage on my bike ride? What a shame!
It would be nice if the city would giveth as well as taketh away. How about a re-surface of the Columbia Slough Trail from N. Portland to N. Denver this summer? It’s in terrible decomposed into gravel shape and in no way matches the newer portion east of Denver.
I will be a supporter of combustion-engine route expansion projects after bike & ped routes are given a remotely equitable treatment according to the Portland Transportation Hierarchy. Imagine closing car road for 90 days. Sorry to be grumpy.
FYI – The bridge trail is open, just crossed it about an hour ago!