Bike and ped detour off the Eastbank Esplanade extended
May 25, 2011
Detour allows for preparation of Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge construction
The detour for bicyclists and pedestrians at the south end of the Eastbank Esplanade will be extended through June 24. Work is underway in the area in preparation of construction of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge this summer. Crews need the additional time to complete unforeseen subsurface work in the area.
The esplanade will be closed between SE Clay and Caruthers streets, with cyclists and pedestrians detoured to SE Water Avenue. Detour signs will be posted in the area, and flaggers will be present. A map of the detour is attached and posted at trimet.org/pdfs/news/esplanade-detour-map.pdf.
Light rail bridge construction details
Crews are creating a work zone to facilitate construction of the east segment of the light rail bridge, where bicyclists and pedestrians will have a temporary multi-use path that will carry them over the work zone. The temporary overpass will follow the current esplanade route and be in place until mid-2013.
Temporary path reuses materials
The temporary overpass is being 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.
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 2013. 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 design 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. Bridge construction is set to begin on July 1, 2011.
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.