UPDATE: As of July 1, the planned closure for bridge installation has been postponed. PBOT will announce the new dates when they become available.
After more than a year of construction, the Congressman Earl Blumenauer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is ready to be installed over I-84.Â
The installation will necessitate a full closure of I-84 west from I-205 to I-5 and I-84 east from I-5 to CĂ©sar E. Chavez Blvd beginning Friday, July 9, 10 pm and continuing until Monday, July 12, 5 am.
The 400-foot-long bridge, (weighing nearly 800,000 lbs.) will be lifted and rolled into place over Sullivan’s Gulch. A temporary tower will be used while crews connect the bridge to the north landing.
When complete, the Blumenauer Bridge will connect pedestrians and people biking on NE 7th Ave. between the Lloyd and Central Eastside neighborhoods and beyond. In the future it will also serve as a link for the Green Loop.
The bridge will open in early 2022 and due to its seismic resiliency, will serve as a backup route for emergency vehicles over I-84 in the event of an earthquake.
The project includes two new public plazas and landings on the north and south sides of the bridge.
Drivers should expect delays and use alternate routes. Portland Bureau of Transportation recommends using TripCheck.com for real time traffic information during the closure.
The work is weather dependent and the schedule may change.
