Traffic Advisory: West Burnside to close for Barbara Walker Crossing bridge repair April 9 - April 11, 2021

News Article
Trees, debris, and power lines on and near PP&R's Barbara Walker Crossing
West Burnside to close April 9 - April 11, 2021, so PP&R can continue repairs to Barbara Walker Crossing over the busy thoroughfare.
Published

(Portland, OR) –

All lanes of West Burnside will temporarily close with detours in place from 7:00 pm on Friday, April 9, to 7:00 pm on Sunday, April 11, 2021, so Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) can perform repairs to Barbara Walker Crossing.  

PP&R will be completing welding work on the bridge, which provides a safe crossing for Wildwood Trail users over the busy thoroughfare. Barbara Walker Crossing was damaged during a January 2021 landslide. Drivers will be detoured onto US Highway 26 or I-405, depending on the direction they’re traveling. Detours will begin for eastbound trafficat NW Skyline and Burnside, and for westbound trafficat NW 23rd Avenue and Burnside. PP&R will install electronic messaging boards on West Burnside regarding the upcoming closure, one for each direction of travel in advance of the closure.

We ask the public to avoid the area and use alternate routes. During the closure, local access will be maintained for residents in the area.

The bridge itself remains closed, as it has been since the January 2021 storm and landslide which damaged the Crossing. PP&R tentatively plans for the bridge to reopen in early May 2021. 

Barbara Walker Crossing was spearheaded by PP&R’s nonprofit fundraising partner Portland Parks Foundation, which raised the funding to make the project possible. The Crossing has been lauded by users for the safe passage it allows, and the Ed Carpenter-designed bridge has also been recognized by the design community. 

A map of the affected temporary closure area