| | Who are we and what do we do?
The Multnomah County Bridge Section manages and maintains six Willamette River Bridges and over twenty smaller bridges elsewhere in the County. Our primary goals are to provide safe transportation facilities for the public, to protect the public investment by preserving our historic bridges, and to help plan for the transportation needs of the 500,000 new residents expected in the Portland area by the year 2020. Our facilities serve Willamette River users, pedestrians, cyclists, automobile commuters, buses, and commercial users. Our employees include: the operators who raise and lower the bridges; the maintenance workers who inspect, respond to emergencies, perform preventative maintenance, and perform maintenance repairs; and engineers who are responsible for design and construction of major repairs, renovations, and upgrades. Who's responsible for that bridge?
Multnomah County maintains and operates the Sellwood, Hawthorne, Morrison, Burnside, Broadway and Sauvie Island bridges.
The Oregon Department of Transportation maintains the Ross Island, Marquem, Fremont and St John's bridges.
The Union Pacific Railroad maintains the Steel Bridge. Ongoing Projects:
 Sellwood Bridge Project
Multnomah County has begun a planning project to identify a long-term solution for the Sellwood Bridge. After eight decades of use, the bridge is nearing the end of its service life. Visit the Project Website to learn more and tell us what you think, or watch former County Chair Ted Wheeler's Sellwood Bridge video. Morrison Bridge Bike/Pedestrian Improvements
Work has been completed to install permanent improvements on the Morrison Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists between SW 2nd Avenue and SE Water Avenue. For more information go to the project website. Other Stuff:
The colorful architectural lights on the Morrison Bridge are now available for your special lighting display. To learn more about the program and download an application, visit the Willamette Light Brigade, a local non-profit organization that administers the program. The City of Portland and TriMet have begun construction of the eastside portion of the Portland Streetcar Loop. A segment across the Broadway Bridge will connect the east and west sides. The Broadway Bridge segment will be under construction beginning the week of May 3, 2010 through June 30, 2011. During this time traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction with height restrictions. The Broadway Bridge is scheduled to be closed to all users from July 6 to September 3, 2010. For more information call 503-478-6404 or visit http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/constupdates.php. The City of Portland's Burnside/Couch Eastside Couplet Project has created a new westbound entrance to the Burnside Bridge from NE Couch Street at NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. East Burnside Street is now a one-way eastbound street from SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd to SE 14th Avenue. For more information on this project, call 503-823-7051 or visit http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=46449&a=189202. Explore the links below to learn more about the Bridge Section's role, and information on bridge types and construction: |
