8 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
June 2016
Regional trail scheduled to open soon between the bridge and Willamette Park
stormwater control, and trail work are
also on the “to-do” list until at least
November of this year.
Delays may occur, at any time, but
By Erik Vidstrand
bridge personnel are trying to alleviate
The Southwest Portland Post
wait times, according to Mike Pullen,
Multnomah County spokesman.
Although the new Sellwood Bridge
“There were traffic jams before our
opened last February 29 to traffic,
project, during our project, and there
pedestrians and bicyclists, work
will likely be traffic jams after we are
continues to take place on and around
done,” Pullen explained. “The signals
the new structure.
on Tacoma Street are part of the issue
Dismantling the old bridge, aligning
that the new bridge will not change.”
the interchanges, and paving an
Pullen gave The Post some project
underpass for those traveling between
developments for the west side. The
Lake Oswego and Portland are but a
northbound through lane of Macadam
few of the projects left. Landscaping,
Avenue opened on the lower level of the
interchange. Both
lanes eliminate
the need for
through traffic
to pass the traffic
signal on the
upper level.
In mid-June,
a regional trail
opens between
the bridge and
Willamette Park.
The contractor
has built columns
for the bridge
that will carry
bicyclists and
pedestrians on
the regional trail
under the main
Spokane Street Ferry: The ferry John F. Caples carried folks across bridge to reach its
the Willamette River between West Portland and Sellwood from south sidewalk.
1903 until the Sellwood Bridge was built in 1925.
Electricians
(Photo courtesy of Oregon Historical Society)
are installing
SELLWOOD BRIDGE
traffic signal poles and
equipment on the west
end of the bridge. The
outside girders are
being stained to match
the brown-orange of
the steel arches.
Now that northbound
through traffic is no
longer using the on-
ramp to the bridge, the
contractor is widening
the ramp’s sidewalk.
On the ramp from the
bridge to northbound
M a c a d a m Av e n u e ,
crews are excavating
and grading. The
ramp’s sidewalk will
be widened in the next
several weeks.
Crews are also
building a parapet
and the west half of
the sidewalk on the
southeast ramp leading
to Macadam Avenue
north. The parapet A view from below the new bridge shows the trusses of the
a l l o w s v i e w i n g old bridge in the background.
locations away from (Photo courtesy Multnomah County)
sidewalk traffic.
barge and it will take about two weeks
Work will continue on the two
to remove each span. The river piles will
westside interchange ramps. Handrails
be removed during the in-water work
and architectural lights are being
period that begins in July.
installed on the arches.
Editor’s Note: For a diagram of the new
The old bridge deck and railings are
bridge or for current construction photos
gone as well the west approach to the
and updates visit www.sellwoodbridge.
detour bridge. The four original steel
org.
truss spans are going be lowered to a
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