Photo: Ford, Brad
The annual Providence Bridge Pedal returns on Sunday morning, August 8 after a one-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event involves seven Willamette River bridges and the streets connecting them to accommodate thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians taking part in the event. The event requires some changes in how motorists get around the city, especially when crossing the Willamette River. Bridge sidewalks remain open during the event but all travelers should expect delays on Portland bridges in the central city and nearby roads before, during and immediately after the event. All bridges should be fully reopened by noon.
The Broadway, Burnside, St. Johns, and Tilikum Crossing bridges are not included in this year’s official route, but may see increased numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians during the event.
The following information applies to motorized traffic on Portland bridges on August 8 during Bridge Pedal. Times are approximate:
- On the Sellwood Bridge, participants will use the north sidewalk and bike lane from 7am to 9:30 am. Traffic lanes remain open in both directions.
- The Ross Island Bridge will be closed to westbound traffic from 4 am to 11 am.
- The Marquam Bridge (Interstate 5) will be closed to northbound (upper deck) traffic from 4 am to 11 am.
- The Hawthorne Bridge will be closed eastbound from 6 am until 12:30 pm, along with the center westbound lane and the SE Water Ave. ramp.
- The Morrison Bridge will have all westbound lanes and one eastbound lane open. The south and center eastbound lanes will be closed from 4 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., as well as the onramp from SW Naito Parkway and offramp to SE Water Ave.
- The Steel Bridge will be closed to eastbound traffic from 6:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. MAX service will not be affected.
- Fremont Bridge (Interstate 405) will be closed to southbound (upper deck) traffic from 4 a.m. until noon, with access by bicyclists ending at 11:30 a.m.
Bridge Pedal will also require traffic changes on several state highways Sunday morning, including:
·I-5 and I-405: During the temporary Marquam Bridge closure (from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.) motorists approaching the Marquam Bridge from I-5 northbound will be routed to I-405 northbound, across the lower deck of the Fremont Bridge, back to I-5 northbound. The north and southbound ramps from I-5 to southbound I-405 will be closed from 4 a.m. to noon.
·All southbound lanes of I-405 will be closed between I-5 at the north end of the Fremont Bridge to the Marquam Bridge. Motorists traveling to I-405 southbound from I-5 southbound will continue on I-5 southbound across the lower deck of the Marquam Bridge to I-405 northbound.All on- and off-ramps to northbound I-405 will remain open through downtown Portland.
·All southbound lanes of I-5 and all northbound lanes of I-405 will remain open at all times.
·The ramp from NW Couch St. and NW 16th Ave. to I-405 southbound will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
·The ramp from SW Taylor St. and SW 13th Ave. to southbound I-405 will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
·The ramp from SW Montgomery St. and SW 13th Ave. to southbound I-405 will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
·The ramp from SW 5th Ave. to I-405 southbound will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
·The ramp from I-405 southbound to U.S. 30 westbound will be closed from 4 a.m. to noon.
·North Going Street to I-5 south will be closed from 4 a.m. to noon.
·Access to I-84 will be open from I-5 southbound.
·North Cook Street and North Kerby access to the top deck of the Fremont Bridge will be closed from 4 a.m. to noon.
·Starting at 4 a.m., motorists traveling eastbound on U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway) to I-405 southbound will take northbound I-405 across the Fremont Bridge to southbound I-5. This detour will remain until 11 a.m.
·The ramp from SE Woodward St. to Ross Island Bridge westbound will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
·Oregon Highway 43 (SW Macadam Ave.): Starting at 6 a.m., one northbound lane will close at SW Carolina St. and exits will close to Hwy. 26 eastbound, Ross Island and Highway 26 west/City Center until 10 am.
·U.S. 30: From 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. the ramp from U.S. 30 eastbound to I-405 southbound will be closed. The ramp being closed is NW Bridge Ave. between the bridge and U.S. 30 eastbound.
Portland streets will also be affected on Sunday morning, including:
·SW Naito Parkway is closed between NW Davis St. and SW Barbur Blvd.
·SE Clay will be closed to traffic west of SE Second Ave.
·SE Water Ave. will be closed from SE Caruthers to SE Stark.
TriMet buses and MAX trains may experience delays downtown during the event.
The following bus lines will have minor detours from the start of service until the event concludes: 2-Division, 4-Fessenden, 6-Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th, 9-Powell Blvd., 14-Hawthorne, 16-Front Ave/St Helens Rd, 17-Holgate/Broadway, 19-Woodstock/Glisan, 24-Fremont/NW 18th, 35-Macadam/Greeley, 44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest, 54-Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, 56-Scholls Ferry Rd, and 77-Broadway/Halsey. Signs will direct riders to nearby and temporary stops for buses affected by detours. Check before you go at trimet.org/alerts.
Portland Streetcar will operate a normal Sunday schedule.
The Hawthorne, Morrison and Steel drawbridges will not open for river traffic between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
The Oregon Department of Transportation maintains the Fremont, Marquam, and Ross Island bridges. Multnomah County maintains the Hawthorne, Morrison and Sellwood bridges. Union Pacific Railroad maintains the Steel Bridge.
For Bridge Pedal information, visitwww.providence.org/bridgepedal.
Source: Multnomah County