Temporary, partial closure of Eastbank Esplanade begins Sunday

From City of Portland Parks & Recreation:

Temporary, partial of Portland Parks & Recreation’s Eastbank Esplanade begins Sunday, June 12, 2022, due to rising river levels

End date TBD depending on river conditions

(Portland, OR) –

A portion of Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade will be temporarily closed for safety starting Sunday, June 12, 2022. The area affected is the floating portion of the popular multiuse path from north of the Morrison Bridge to south of the Steel bridge.

The Eastbank Esplanade is a popular, 1 ½ mile-long multiuse path popular with people using mobility devices, cyclists, and people traveling on foot. PP&R officials have been monitoring data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which now indicates the Willamette River is expected to rise to 15.5 feet by mid-morning Sunday. That’s the threshold to temporarily close the floating portion of the Esplanade – the transitions onto and off the pathways become angled too high for safe passage.

The end date for this previously unforeseen closure is yet to be established; but current forecasts indicate that reopening this section Wednesday or later is a possibility, depending on river water levels. The temporarily closed areas will be marked with signage and fencing.

The Esplanade transitions from a sidewalk to a 1200-foot-long wooden deck over water beneath the Burnside Bridge on both sides. It’s one of the longest of its kind in the United States. This temporary safety closure will affect the path from around SE Ash Street on the north down to near SE Everett Street.

As the water rises from recent ongoing rains, it has lifted the floating path so that the connecting portions between the bridge and fixed, concrete sidewalk are approaching unsuitable angles.  Portland Parks & Recreation’s primary concern is for the public’s safety and appreciates people adhering to the temporary closure.

PP&R urges all visitors to respect the protective fencing and signage now being installed. People who had planned to use this portion of the Esplanade will have to find alternate routes to their destinations.

Portland Parks & Recreation will post updates at portland.gov/parks/nature/trail-closures-and-delays

For more information about the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, visit portland.gov/parks/eastbank-esplanade.