South end of Eastbank Esplanade opens early
June 24, 2011
7-week closure allowed for preparation for Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge construction
The south end of the Eastbank Esplanade is now open, a day before it was set to open. The closure of the multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians allowed preconstruction work in advance of the construction of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge. Construction of the bridge begins next Friday, July 1.
During the seven-week closure, crews built a temporary path for bicyclists and pedestrians over the light rail construction zone. This temporary overpass will keep the path open and safely separate it from bridge construction. The temporary overpass follows the current esplanade route and be in place until mid-2013.
Temporary path reuses materials
The temporary overpass was created with components from the conveyor belt previously used on the Eastside Big Pipe project. The city of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services Big Pipe project used the conveyor belt to transport debris from the area, which is also where the light rail bridge construction will take place.
See it live
Bridge cameras have been installed at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and at Oregon Health & Science University to capture the bridge construction. Visit trimet.org/pmbridgecams for live and time-lapsed video.
About the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project
The 7.3-mile project is the region's sixth MAX line to be built and extends from the terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at Portland State University to South Waterfront, SE Portland, Milwaukie and Park Avenue in Clackamas County.
The project includes 10 stations and the first bridge constructed over the Willamette River in more than 40 years. It will create up to 14,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate $573 million in personal earnings. Federal funds will pay for half of the $1.49 billion project, state and local partners are funding the balance. TriMet's share is less than 5 percent of the project budget and will not be needed until FY2013. The line is set to open in September 2015.
About the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge
The light rail bridge will be the first cable-stayed bridge for the region, extending 1,720 feet (.326 miles) over the Willamette River. It is the first of its kind, carrying light rail, buses, bikes, pedestrians and a future Portland Streetcar extension, but no private vehicles. The bridge alignment is SW Porter Street on the westside and SE Sherman Street on the eastside.
The overall project is still in the Final Design phase. The Federal Transit Administration has approved early construction work on the bridge, as construction in the Willamette River is limited due to migrating fish. The "fish window" allows in-river work from July through October.
Project partners
Clackamas County, Metro, City of Milwaukie, Multnomah County, City of Oregon City, Oregon Department of Transportation, City of Portland, Portland Development Commission and TriMet.
For more information about the project, please visit trimet.org/pm.