Traffic on the Sellwood Bridge usually runs pretty smoothly despite the construction, but next week will be a little different. The bridge will be closed from Tuesday evening, May 13, until Friday evening, May 16 so a contractor can install pre-cast concrete girders for the eastside approach to the bridge. This is a brief hiccup in an otherwise smooth project, but it may not even be all that bad. Both of the last closures ended days ahead of schedule, so we have high hopes for this one. In any event, we want to do everything we can to make it easy for you to use our service, so we work especially hard when the bridge construction is especially difficult. We hope you take advantage of our…

Bridge Closure Offer- THIS WEEK ONLY!

If you schedule your vehicle for work during the week of May 12 thru May 16 we’ll take 20% OFF YOUR LABOR CHARGES!*

This discount doesn’t apply to oil changes or other services under $100, but if you have a big repair like a timing belt, heater core, or brake job this may be the ideal time to do it.
*Maximum discount is $200. YOU MUST MENTION YOU WANT THIS DISCOUNT WHEN YOU SCHEDULE SERVICE, and THIS OFFER CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS.

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth noting again… the most amazing thing about this entire project is that they are able to build an entirely new bridge while the traffic continues to flow! Just look at what’s going on this week, while the bridge is still open!

Lane Striping: The contractor re-striped crosswalks and lane markings at the west end of the bridge at Hwy. 43 last week to improve their visibility.
Retaining Walls (west side of Hwy. 43): South of the bridge, work continues on the concrete fascia of the retaining walls, as well as construction of drainage for a stream that will be piped through the wall. More ground anchors will be installed this week.
North of the bridge, another row of soil nails is being installed, which requires two lanes to be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for safety. Shotcrete will be applied to the wall face this week.
New Bridge and Interchange: This week forms and rebar will be installed for the beam seats on the top of the abutment. The project will widen the waiting area for pedestrians and bicycles next to the abutment at the Highway 43 crosswalk.
At Bent 2, between the abutment and the river, falsework is being erected for the cross beam.
At Bent 3 near the river bank, the contractor has stripped forms from the angel wings that will support the steel arch spans. This week forms and rebar are being installed for the two columns that will stand on the footing. This concrete pour was rescheduled for next week.
Reinforced Slope on Trolley Line: Soil excavation, grading and reinforcing are being installed on the slope that will support the trolley and trail corridor north of the bridge.
SW Miles Place: The Portland Water Bureau plans to begin field work to install a new water line on SW Miles Place this week, as part of street improvements that will include a section of the regional trail between Willamette Park and the bridge.
Concrete was poured last week for the beam seats on the east approach columns, which will support the pre-cast horizontal girders that will be installed May 13 – 16. Forms have been stripped from the Bent 6 cross beam.
New Bridge: As leaks are eliminated in the two box caissons that have been lowered into the river, work is shifting to the foundation columns inside. Crews are chipping concrete from the tops of the columns to create strong joints for the next concrete pour.
At Bent 4 on the west side of the channel, crews are sealing the box casing and installing rings around the foundation shafts to seal out the water. Several shafts still need to be poured with concrete to the level of the box. The caissons will support the steel arch river spans and bridge columns above.
Bee Rescue: Our project is often visited by reporters from the Sellwood Bee newspaper. Last week the work zone had a visit from a swarm of 5,000 honeybees that decided to rest on a metal stretcher mounted to the west work bridge over the river (see photos). A beekeeper was called to corral the bees so they could be taken to a new home. No one was stung during the visit.

As always, Multnomah County maintains the definitive website on everything related to the Sellwood Bridge Replacement project, www.sellwoodbridge.org. Construction and closure alerts, archived information, and other resources are all available 24/7 for your convenience. If you’re looking for something that’s not on the website, you can contact Mike Pullen (mike.j.pullen@multco.us, 503-209-4111) or visit www.sellwoodbridge.org.