Commuters who frequent the Morrison Bridge should brace for a series of eastbound lane closures scheduled for next week. Specifically, on August 18, 19, and 20, the flow of traffic will be interrupted intermittently from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Multnomah County advises locals to plan their travel accordingly and consider alternative routes to avoid delays.
These disruptions come as part of a broader initiative to bolster the infrastructure of the Morrison Bridge. Managing the repair works, crews aim to fortify the structure with features like titanium rebar, with a focus on the S.E. Morrison Street and S.E. Belmont Street approach ramps, as per Multnomah County. Driving to conduct their joint deck repairs, they will be working on the east side of the bridge during these closures.
According to Multnomah County, the purpose of these closures and the labor they're signaling is twofold. Firstly, the Morrison Bridge Strengthening Project seeks to eliminate current weight restrictions, which currently prevent heavy trucks from crossing. Additionally, this project will act as a safeguard, ensuring that modern freight trucks and other vehicles traverse the bridge safely.
Moreover, while rectifying the bridge's ability to support a greater weight of modern traffic, crews are set to revamp components that are vital to the bridge's mechanical operations. Among the scheduled improvements are repairs to bearings and motors.
