More bridge lifts in Portland area as water levels rise on Willamette and Columbia rivers

By Alex Hasenstab (OPB)
June 14, 2022 1:54 a.m.

Commuters in Portland can expect bridges over the Willamette and Columbia rivers — including the I-5 bridge — to be lifted more often in the next several days to allow clearance for ships as water levels remain high.

The National Weather Service said rain caused water levels on the Columbia to rise to minor flood levels.

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The Willamette is experiencing high water levels in the Portland area due to backwater from the Columbia.

Jill Wolf, Bridge Operations Manager for Multnomah County, said four movable bridges on the Willamette will be impacted: the Hawthorne, Morrison, Burnside and Broadway bridges.

“There will be more lifts more often on all four bridges than on a typical lower water time period, so there could be more traffic delays,” Wolf said.

The National Weather Service reported water levels at 16 feet on the Willamette in the Portland area. Wolf said more vessels will need the bridges to lift for clearance.

“Whenever the Willamette River gets above 12 feet, we have to staff all four of our movable bridges downtown,” Wolf said. “We have operators on those bridges 24/7 so that the vessels can move around without having to do a request and then wait for an operator to arrive on the bridge.”

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The four bridges will be constantly staffed through Sunday.

Related: Columbia River tops flood stage in Vancouver, Washington

While the exact impact to traffic remains to be seen, lifting the bridge and lowering it back down can be done in around eight minutes.

“I know it seems longer when you’re sitting in your car,” Wolf said.

The Hawthorne bridge lifts every eight hours to keep the gears greased. Aside from that, the bridges will sometimes only be lifted a few times a month when water levels are typical.

The effect is already being seen. On Sunday , the Hawthorn Bridge lifted close to 10 times.

“It’s definitely double, or triple what it would have been in lower water,” Wolf said

The Columbia River reached 16 feet near the I-5 Bridge on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The Oregon Department of Transportation reported that the river level in that area is normally 6 to 7 feet.

“Bridge lifts can sometimes be completed in six to eight minutes but lifts now are expected to last up to 20 minutes,” the department wrote in a press statement about I-5.

They said that under maritime law, marine traffic has priority over highway traffic. However, no lifts are allowed during the morning and evening commute times weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The National Weather Service said that water levels in both rivers are expected to gradually recede starting Wednesday.

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