NOTE: On July 1st PBOT announced the installation has been postponed. No new date has been released yet.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation says the Congressman Earl Blumenauer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is ready to be installed across Interstate 84.
The bridge project that will connect the Central Eastside to the Lloyd on 7th Avenue broke ground in November 2019. Earlier in June we reported on delays that had left the span and its supports on either side of Sullivan’s Gulch in limbo for several months. Now PBOT says crews will move the 800,000 pound, 400-foot-long bridge into place the weekend of July 9th.
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In 2015 we named this bridge as one of the four bikeways it would take to make the Lloyd great; but its value to the bike network and the city in general go way beyond one neighborhood. The bridge (formerly known as Sullivan’s Crossing and named after Portland’s beloved U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer) will provide a crucial north-south connection where none exists today and it’s a key part of the future “Green Loop” — a linear park and pathway that will someday connect the entire central city.
The new bridge will not be open for car and trucks users, but it will serve as a lifeline for emergency vehicles in the event of a major earthquake. PBOT also plans new public plazas on each side of the bridge.
Keep in mind that the installation will require the closure of I-84 in both directions from Friday night (July 9th) to early Monday morning (July 12th). This could mean more car users than usual on on adjacent surface streets.
Learn more about the project at Portland.gov.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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