The first thing to know is that the bridge is open and safe, and 
Multnomah County continues to do a magnificent job making sure that the inevitable traffic disruptions are kept to the barest minimum. If you’re planning to visit our shop, there’s no reason the bridge construction should hamper you at all. However, there are two other things going on this month that you should be aware of. Here are two stories from Multnomah County’s weekly updates…
Taylors Ferry U-Turn
Next week the contractor will place asphalt for the new U-turn that will allow northbound traffic on Hwy. 43 to make a U-turn at Taylors Ferry Road. The U-turn is needed because the ramp from the Sellwood Bridge to southbound Hwy. 43 will close permanently in about a month, so that the contractor can build the new interchange. When the ramp closes, drivers will need to travel north to Taylors Ferry to turn around and head back south on Hwy. 43 toward Lake Oswego.
Bicycles and Pedestrians on the Cemetery Trail
The Sellwood Bridge project has accommodated requests from the public to maintain access for bicyclists and pedestrians during construction of a new entrance to River View Cemetery from Hwy. 43. A path will be maintained through the work zone for bicyclists and pedestrians only during the work from August 12 through September.
Keeping the road open to bicyclists and pedestrians will require the cooperation of trail users who will be passing through an active construction zone. Important details of the plan include:
- The construction zone includes about 100 yards of the road in a steep, curving section above the funeral home near the entrance from Hwy. 43 (see red line in attached graphic).
- A narrow path (3 – 4 feet wide) will be maintained along the edge of the work zone. The path surface will shift from pavement to gravel, surface conditions will change daily, and heavy construction traffic will be nearby.
- During work hours (typically from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays), flaggers will direct traffic at each end of the work zone. Bicyclists will need to dismount and walk their bike through the work zone for safety.
- The trail will be open during some non-work hours. Trail users should use caution when passing through the area at non-work times, especially at night. The cemetery closes the road in the late evening.
- The cemetery road remains closed to all motorized traffic above the funeral home from August 12 until late September. The funeral home can be accessed from Hwy. 43 during construction.
Typically, public access would not be permitted inside a work zone. The cemetery and project team are willing to maintain public access to trail users as long as users comply with these safety rules and follow the direction of flaggers and traffic control devices. If users do not comply, the trail will need to be closed for public safety. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation so that we can keep the trail open.
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Here’s our monthly status update pictures in glorious color! (And you might also interested in this photo series from the Oregonian)
Don’t forget that Multnomah County maintains the definitive website on everything related to the Sellwood Bridge Replacement project, http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/. Construction and closure alerts, archived information, and other resources are all available 24/7 for your convenience. Their two constantly updated live webcams of the bridge cams are available here. 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 http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/.
