Multnomah County says a maintenance project will close the Broadway Bridge for six months beginning Monday, October 13th. The closure will have a significant impact on surrounding streets and bridges as folks opt for detours around the closure. All car and truck drivers, as well as Portland Streetcar and bus riders, will need to find other routes to and from downtown.
Bicycle riders and walkers will be able to use the south sidewalk, which will remain open for most of the closure. However, the County says even the south sidewalk will be closed for two hours on two days: Monday October 13th and Tuesday October 14th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
To be clear:
- this closure impacts all drivers, as well as bus and streetcar riders, for the entire six months;
- bike riders will share the south sidewalk, which will carry bi-directional cycling, walking, and micromobility vehicle traffic.
- the bridge will be closed to all users — including bikers and walkers — for two hours this coming Monday and Tuesday.
The reason for the closure is a lift deck replacement project. According to Multnomah County, in order to do the work, a contractor will remove small sections of the bridge deck, one at a time, to ensure the movable bridge sections remain carefully balanced and can be opened to river traffic as required by law. New streetcar tracks will also be installed in the section of the bridge deck being replaced.
The last major Broadway Bridge closure I covered was in 2015 when the bridge was repainted. The work zone around that project was roundly criticized by bicycle users.
County officials expect the closure to last from October 13th 2025 to April 11th 2026. Visit the County’s website for more information.
