(July 29, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will restrict motor vehicle traffic to eastbound travelers only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30 for expansion joint repairs on the NW Thurman Street Bridge, formally known as the Balch Gulch Bridge. Pedestrians and people on bikes will not be impacted.
During repairs, the westbound lanes of NW Thurman Street between 29th and 31st avenues will be detoured around the bridge using a signed detour from 20th Avenue to Wilson Street to 33rd Avenue to Vaughn Street to 32nd Avenue. TriMet buses will also be detoured.
The 110-year-old Balch Gulch Bridge was built during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition and World’s Trade Fair as a gateway to Portland’s developing Willamette Heights neighborhood. As the oldest intact bridge in the region and one of only few remaining of its type in the entire nation, the pin-connected steel deck truss is a noteworthy historic and engineering treasure. The bridge was reopened after a major rehabilitation in 2014, which replaced wooden sidewalks, installed a new bridge deck, railing, and more.
Following the expansion joint repairs, the bridge will also receive new street lighting and a fresh coat of paint to extend the bridge’s lifespan. Scaffolding has been installed in preparation for blasting and removing the existing paint from the bridge. The bridge structure will also be inspected to determine if any steel members of the bridge need to be replaced.