According to multiple emails I’ve received in recent days, we’ve got another Steel Bridge bike path closure problem. This 113-year-old bridge has a history of problems that result in a gate swinging shut and closing access to the lower deck — a lower deck that just happens to be a vital link in our transportation system.
This morning, BikePortland reader Scott reported that the path had been closed since at least Saturday morning. And reader Alex wrote into say he couldn’t find any information about the closure. “No signs or warnings and the alternate route and the alternative over the top deck is not safe or fair to the pedestrians,” Alex added. And a reader named Brianna shared that the blinking warning lights on Naito did not indicate a gate closure, but she’s noticed it closed since Monday. Folks on Reddit are also wondering what’s going on.
I heard from someone named Jessica this morning that they found the gate closed on their way home from work at 11:00 pm last night, then tried the nearby Broadway Bridge, only to find it closed as well (due to a Multnomah County project).
I don’t have any new information to share (I’ll update this post when I hear back from PBOT), but I do know this path is notorious for closures due to technical difficulties.
Last summer the path was closed for over a week due to what PBOT said was a camera malfunction. Bridge operators use cameras to detect whether or not it’s safe to close the path for passing ships, and when the cameras are on the fritz, they keep the path closed by default for safety reasons. BikePortland reported on another prolonged closure due to the camera issue in 2013.
Of course there are other bridges folks can take across the Willamette as an alternate, but they’re not as convenient for many folks. There’s also the upper deck or the sidewalk adjacent to it. But both of those options come with pitfalls: the upper deck is a shared-lane environment that could be stressful for more riders and the sidewalk is very narrow and is often used by pedestrians.
For now, stay tuned for an update from PBOT and keep me posted about what you see out there.
UPDATE, 11:02 am: I just noticed that PBOT posted something on Facebook yesterday that it is indeed a “camera issue” that has caused the closure. They provided no date for re-opening.
Thanks for reading.
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Amazing timing! I encountered the locked gate this morning- no warning signs, no advisory signs on he gate, just a gate closed and padlocked closed. It really gives the impression that PBOT has completely walked away from biking as transportation.
I thought the broadway bridge resurfacing project was going to keep one side or the other open for non-cars?
It is; but not always. MultCo will have to close the bridge to everyone a few times.
It was frustrating to stumble across this over the weekend with no information available.
Especially while PBOT was posting about all the SmartPark lots having free parking.
If one of the Willamette bridges were closed to cars, it would be a five-alarm emergency and the local media would never stop talking about it.
Really? Barely heard a bleep about the Broadway Bridge being closed to cars for an entire year.
Would be good to figure out this closure either way… but in case people aren’t aware, the Broadway bridge is still open to peds and bikes on the sidewalks during the closure to other traffic.