Attention seeking drivers and night crawlers in Oregon City: You're going to need a new route on Thursday and Friday nights. The OR 99E is taking a pause for the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project works and will be closed due to girder installation. So if you're planning a late night jaunt, prepare for a detour or get cozy with an alternative plan.
The necessary pause in OR 99E's usual bustle will start at the stroke of 10 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8 and will lift at the early hours of 5 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9. The following night, Friday, the closure resumes—this time extending from 10 p.m. through to 7 a.m. of Saturday morning. According to an announcement from the Oregon Department of Transportation, your detour will sweep you onto I-205, so expect a bit of extra travel time. For those of you on foot or two wheels, be ready for a brief hold-up; flaggers will be present to usher you through with only short delays.
This girder maneuver is one fragment of a bigger scheme to fortify the Abernethy Bridge—a critical overpass that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn—against the ominous potential of a major earthquake. In the mix, are some other perks too—safety measures like realigned ramps and shiny new paths for cyclists and pedestrians. The grand completion of this project is penciled in for the tail end of 2026.
Closure dates and timings could dance to the music of weather whims or other surprises. So, keep a tab open for updates and make sure you're not left in the dark.
