The NE 42nd Avenue Bridge will be closed for repairs June 17-24. Portland Bureau of Transportation.
By Katie MacDougall, PBOT
(July 15, 2019) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that work on the NE 42nd Avenue Bridge over NE Lombard Street will keep the bridge closed to all traffic for one week, starting Wednesday. NE Lombard Street and NE Portland Highway (Route 30 Bypass) will not be affected. The closure is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. on July 17 and go through 3 p.m. on July 24.
Local access will be maintained between the bridge and the intersection of NE 42nd Avenue and Columbia Boulevard, to the north, but through traffic over the bridge will not be allowed.
A biennial bridge inspection revealed a need for maintenance on the 42nd Avenue Bridge. Two of the four grout pads were worn out and the bridge had sunk 2 inches. The maintenance repairs will raise the bridge to its original height above Lombard Street and replace the grout pads. This is a short-term repair to maintain the bridge’s service condition.
For information on possible impacts to TriMet bus service, check trimet.org/alerts.
Safer crossings like this example at NE 102nd Avenue and Knott Street will be installed as part of the Phase I improvements.
PBOT crews are posting a detour route for people driving vehicles.
Detour for northbound 42nd Avenue travelers:
Traffic will be detoured east at 42nd Avenue onto NE Lombard Street (Route 30 Bypass) to northbound on 60th Avenue to westbound on NE Columbia Blvd to reach NE 47th Avenue.
Detour for southbound 47nd Avenue travelers:
Traffic will be detoured east on NE Columbia Blvd to southbound on NE 60th Avenue to westbound on NE Portland Highway to reach NE Lombard St and NE 42nd Avenue.
The traveling public is advised to travel cautiously, observe the closure signage and directions by reader boards and detour signage.
With two large freight corridors and freight rail lines, the area has limited street connectivity. People walking and biking in the area are advised to plan ahead for an alternative route, and consider NE 33rd Avenue as a potential route for bicycle access.
The work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change.
PBOT has funding to replace the bridge, with a project anticipated to start construction in 2021. The 42nd Avenue Bridge and Corridor Project will add a bike lane and multi-use path to improve connections between the Holman neighborhood greenway and the upcoming protected bikeway on NE 47th Avenue. This $17 million project will provide better access for freight that uses NE Lombard and NE Portland Highway (Route 30 Bypass), improving traffic. Learn more about the 42nd Avenue Bridge and Corridor Project at the project website.
Columbia/ Lombard study looks at the future of safety, mobility in the areaThe 42nd Avenue Bridge is a part of the Columbia/Lombard Mobility Corridor. Columbia and Lombard have been identified as High Crash Network streets by PBOT’s Vision Zero program, with high rates of fatal and injury crashes, as well as major gaps in bicycling and walking routes.
The Columbia/ Lombard Mobility Corridor Plan is a plan to address safety, mobility, and access for freight, active transportation, and public transit both along the corridor (east/west) and across it (north/south). The project area runs from I-5 to I-205 with a buffer area to include parallel routes. The project began in January 2019 and is expected to go to City Council in summer 2020.
Learn more and sign up for email updates, including upcoming street design options, at the project website portlandoregon.gov/transportation/columbia/lombard
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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation