Bike traffic advisory: Expect delays on bridges due to repairs and Fleet Week departures

The lower deck of the Steel Bridge is always crowded during the warm and sunny summer season — but it’ll be even harder to bike through over the next week.

The Bureau of Transportation has put out a traffic advisory (below) warning of delays on all downtown lift-bridges due to the double-whammy of lifts (as ships depart from Fleet Week festivities) and for electrical repairs on the Steel Bridge. The delays are expected to happen on June 8th, 9th, and 13th.

Be advised and try taking the upper deck for the next few days. If you do ride the upper deck, please ride cautiously when other people are present — it’s narrow up there.

The arrival and departure of Fleet Week ships for the Portland Rose Festival will require the closure of the lower deck of the Steel Bridge on June 8, 9 and 13. Because the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Union Pacific Railroad are also making mechanical and electrical repairs to the structure, the lower deck will be held in the raised position, closed to bike and pedestrian access, for up to four to six hours each day.

Since the lower deck of the Steel Bridge was opened in 2001, it has become a popular route for people bike and walking. The deck will be closed from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday June 8 and Thursday June 9. If ships are able to pass before 6 p.m., the deck will be lowered and access restored as soon as possible.

The lower deck will be raised again on Monday June 13, from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. If ships are able to pass before noon, the deck will be lowered and access restored as soon as possible.

Public access to the upper deck will be maintained, but expect intermittent bridge closures from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and on Monday morning as ships arrive and depart.

The Broadway, Burnside, and Steel drawbridges will need to open for ship arrivals and departures. Travelers can avoid delays by choosing a fixed span bridge or a bridge south of the Burnside Bridge.

This might be a good time to download Multnomah County’s new smartphone app that will send alerts to your phone when the lifts are up.

— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org

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