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Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update for June 14

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:55:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
Westside Trail Detour: Work to replace the culvert over Stephens Creek begins Monday, June 17. This work will require westside trail users to follow a detour between Macadam Bay and Willamette Park. The detour follows the east sidewalk of Hwy. 43/Macadam Ave. north from Macadam Bay’s driveway to SW Nevada St., where it turns right to rejoin the trail in Willamette Park.
SE 6th & Tacoma Work Zone: The contractor is building the easternmost column of the bridge and the east abutment on the south side of Tacoma St. west of SE 6th Ave. Watch for flaggers in this area during construction.
Springwater Trail: Steel plates cover a short section of trail south of the bridge on days when heavy equipment needs to cross the trail. Flaggers are directing traffic during construction. Plates are removed on weekends.

West Side Work

Stephens Creek Culvert - Mobilization begins Monday, June 17 for replacement of the steel culvert that carries Stephens Creek under the trolley tracks and future trail between Macadam Bay and Miles Street. Construction vehicles will access the site via the Macadam Bay driveway (which will remain open at all times), as well as the haul road from SW Miles Street and the old Staff Jennings site. This work will require west side trail users to follow a detour (see Traffic Alerts above). Detour signs have been installed along the route.

Greenwall - Vegetation will be cleared next week where the contractor will build vegetated walls to support a new trail south of Macadam Bay.

Retaining Walls - Installation of steel piles for retaining walls continues north of the bridge. South of the bridge, next week the contractor will excavate the hillside down another level and install tie-back anchors and horizontal lagging to support the wall. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

New Construction Access - Work on a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge continues. Two types of temporary retaining walls are being built along the access road.

Landslide Mitigation - The landslide subcontractor has departed. Next week a temporary electrical system will be installed for the landslide monitoring equipment. The general contractor will also install shields to protect the ground anchors from damage during bridge construction.

East Side Work

New Bridge – Several of the new east approach columns are visible above ground. Next week the contractor will work on the abutment at the east end of the bridge, including concrete pours late next week.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – Two of the old concrete river piers are slowly shrinking as the contractor saw-cuts and removes chunks of concrete weighing as much as 100,000 pounds. The two piers will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom. Pier 19 will remain in place, to protect the upstream side of the detour bridge.

New Bridge – More drilling and diving work is needed before concrete can be poured for the first river pier foundation shaft of the new bridge. The concrete pour is now scheduled for June 28. Drilling starts as early as next Tuesday for foundations at Bent 6, near the river’s edge between Sellwood Harbor and Riverpark. Drilling will continue there for several weeks and will require some heavy equipment to install the 10 foot diameter casings (see this week's photo).

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. On Saturday, June 15 a diving crew will be working at the Bent 5 river pier from 7 am to 5 pm. The contractor will work several hours each day this weekend to maintain the position of the underwater casing for the river pier shaft.

Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update for June 7

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:08:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
SE 6th & Tacoma Work Zone: The contractor is building Bent 11, the easternmost column of the bridge, on the south side of Tacoma St. west of SE 6th Ave. Flaggers are directing traffic in this area during construction.
Springwater Trail: Steel plates cover a short section of trail south of the bridge on days when heavy equipment needs to cross the trail. Flaggers are directing traffic during construction. Plates are removed on weekends.
SE 21st & Tacoma Culvert Replacement Starts: Traffic will be impacted starting June 10 as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins work to replace a culvert that carries Crystal Springs Creek under Tacoma.

Traffic will remain open in both directions on Tacoma but drivers should expect work day delays as construction equipment is moved into the area. In July travel lanes will be narrower and shifted to one side of the street, while half the culvert is constructed on the other side. Nearby parking will be restricted and access to some residences and businesses will be impacted.

This is one of nine culverts along the creek that will be replaced by 2015 to help salmon and trout recovery. Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services is a project partner. The attached map shows the traffic impacts of the project. For more information, visit the project website.

West Side Work

Retaining Walls – Installation of steel piles for retaining walls continues north of the bridge. Horizontal lagging will be installed along the south wall next week. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

New Construction Access -- Work on a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge continues. Temporary retaining walls are being built along the access road. Next week vegetation will be cleared to make way for a new pillow wall. This is a geotextile fabric wall that resembles a stack of pillows.

Landslide Mitigation – The final ground anchors were installed this week. The subcontractor will pack up to leave the site next week. Later this month the tops of the ground anchors will be shielded to protect them from damage during remaining construction.

Stephens Creek Culvert – Work will begin later this month to replace a steel culvert that carries Stephens Creek under the trolley tracks and future trail between Macadam Bay and Miles Street. Work will require trail users to detour to the east sidewalk of Macadam Ave. between Macadam Bay and SW Nevada St. Detour signs are going up along the route.

Greenwall -- Vegetation has been cleared where the contractor will build vegetated walls to support a new trail south of Macadam Bay. Contaminated soil will be hauled away at the end of the month.

East Side Work

New Bridge – More of the eastern approach columns for the new bridge approach are rising from the ground, as the photo below shows. The first cross beams will be poured later this month.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – The old concrete river piers are quickly disappearing as the contractor saw cuts and removes some very heavy chunks of concrete (see photo). The western river pier is nearly below river level. Each pier will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom.

New Bridge – Work continues on drilling shafts for the first river pier foundation. Drilling is scheduled for this Saturday, June 8. A major concrete pour is planned next week, depending on drilling progress. The pour will require more than 50 concrete truck deliveries over about 20 hours, starting around 7 a.m.

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. Drilling for the river pier is scheduled Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., which should not generate significant noise. The contractor will need to work several hours on Sunday, just to maintain the position of the underwater casing for the river pier shaft.

Miles Place Design Public Meeting

A public meeting is scheduled on Thursday, June 13 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Easter Seals Building, 5757 SW Macadam Ave., to gather public input on a revised design for a section of regional trail on SW Miles Place. This section will connect Willamette Park to the north with parks to the south and continue to the new Sellwood Bridge.

For Project Information – Contact Mike Pullen (mike.j.pullen@multco.us, 503-209-4111) or visit www.sellwoodbridge.org. View live construction from our two web cams at www.sellwoodbridge.org/?p=construction-camera.

Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update for May 31

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:50:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
6th & Tacoma Work Zone: The contractor is building Bent 11, the easternmost column of the bridge, on the south side of Tacoma St. west of SE 6th Ave. Flaggers are directing traffic in this area during construction.
Springwater Trail: Steel plates cover a short section of the trail on the south side of the bridge, to protect the trail from construction equipment. Flaggers are directing traffic during construction. Plates will be removed during the weekend.

West Side Work

Retaining Walls – Installation of steel piles for retaining walls continues north and south of the bridge. Setting tie-back anchors to support the wall continues next week. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

New Construction Access -- Work on a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge continues. Temporary retaining walls are being built along the access road. The walls use a welded wire system layered with soil and fabric reinforcement.

Landslide Mitigation – Work to halt the landslide is wrapping up. The final ground anchors will be installed next week. By mid-June the subcontractor will leave the site. The tops of the ground anchors will be shielded to protect them from damage during construction of the new bridge.

Stephens Creek Culvert – Work will begin in mid June to replace a steel culvert that carries Stephens Creek under the trolley tracks and future trail between Macadam Bay and Miles Street. The graphic to the right shows the current culvert and the new culvert, which will be wider, taller, and provide better passage for fish and wildlife. Work will require trail users to detour to the east sidewalk of Macadam Ave. between Macadam Bay and SW Nevada St. Detour signs are going up along the route.

Greenwall -- Next week vegetation will be cleared along the trail south of Macadam Bay in preparation for construction of a vegetated wall the project will build to support the multi-use trail in a steep area.

East Side Work

New Bridge – The easternmost columns for the new bridge approach continue to rise from the ground on the east side. More concrete pours are scheduled early next week.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – Saw cutting and removal of the old concrete river piers is quickly proceeding. The photo below by Ken Pollard shows a 112,000-pound block of concrete pier being lifted onto a barge. Each pier will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom.

New Bridge – Work continues on drilling shafts for the first river pier foundation. Extra bracing has been added to the end of the work bridge to support this work (see photo). A concrete pour is scheduled next week.

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. On Saturday, June 1st, a crew will install bracing at the end of the east work bridge.

Bridge safety always a concern in 'Bridgetown'

Sellwood Bridge Project — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:29:00 -0700

Safety of bridges like the one that collapsed in Skagit, Washington Thursday has always been a big issue in the city known as "Bridgetown."

Portland's Sellwood Bridge is the latest bridge project to be upgraded. Crews moved the bridge upriver as part of a temporary solution.

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Sellwood Field Work Update for May 24

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:20:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
6th & Tacoma Work Zone: The contractor is building Bent 11, the easternmost column of the bridge, on the south side of Tacoma St. west of SE 6th Ave. Flaggers are directing traffic in this area during construction.
Springwater Trail: Steel plates cover a short section of the trail on the south side of the bridge, to protect the trail from construction equipment.

West Side Work

Retaining Walls – Installation of steel piles for the retaining walls continue north and south of the bridge. Setting tie-back anchors to support the wall continues next week. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

New Construction Access -- Work on a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge continues next week.

Landslide Mitigation – Work to halt the landslide will wrap up in June.

West Work Bridge – Crews have completed decking the first six spans of the work bridge. Piles for the remaining spans will be installed this summer, during the in-water work period.

East Side Work

New Bridge – Columns for the new bridge approach are rising from the ground on the east side (see photo). Work continues on three columns next week.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – Saw cutting and removal of the old concrete river piers continues next week (see photo). Each pier will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom.

New Bridge – Work continues on drilling shafts for the first river pier foundation (see photo). Next week drilling will continue and the first concrete will be poured for the foundation.

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. On Saturday, May 25 the contractor will work from about 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Work will focus at the end of the east work bridge, where casings for a river pier foundation are being installed. On Sunday and Monday, a subcontractor plans to work on the river pier foundation from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. only.

How do you move an entire bridge?

Sellwood Bridge Project — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:20:00 -0700

When the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, was built in 1925, it wasn’t designed to carry 30,000 vehicles a day. So county engineers decided it was time for a new bridge, and the least expensive option ($306 million) was to move the existing structure over to serve as a detour while a new one was built in its place. But the bridge’s rare design—a one-piece, 1,100-foot, 3,400-ton truss—posed an unusual problem. How do you move a whole bridge at once?

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Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update for May 17

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:08:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
Taylor’s Ferry Turn-Around: Next week the contractor will construct a turnaround in the traffic island at Hwy. 43 and SW Taylors Ferry Rd. The turnaround will allow northbound traffic to make a U-turn in 2014 when construction will prevent bridge traffic from turning south onto Hwy. 43. The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 will be closed from 9 am to 4 pm next to the traffic island during the work.
6th & Tacoma Work Zone: The contractor has started construction of Bent 11, the easternmost column of the bridge, on the south side of Tacoma St. west of SE 6th Ave. Flaggers are directing traffic in this area during construction.
Springwater Trail: On May 20 the contractor will place steel plates over a section of the trail on the south side of the bridge, to protect the trail from construction equipment. Asphalt transition ramps will be added at each end of the plates, which will be painted orange for increased visibility. Signs will alert trail users about the plates, which will be coated with a non-skid surface for improved traction.
Speed Limit Reminder: The speed limit on the bridge and in the work zone on Hwy. 43 is 25 mph. The speed limit is in effect at all hours and days of the week. Please note that drivers can be fined for parking in a construction zone.

Offsite Work

Steel Fabrication - Most of the structural steel that will be used in the new bridge has arrived at Thompson Metals along the Columbia River in Vancouver, where it will be fabricated into arches, girders and other structures. The photo below shows the steel for the Sellwood project within the red line. The plates of steel are stacked in piles more than six feet high on several acres.

West Side Work

Retaining Walls – Installation of steel piles for the retaining walls continue north and south of the bridge. Next week the contractor will install the first tie-back anchors to support the wall. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

Construction activity remains heavy near the cemetery entrance, where flaggers direct traffic during the work day (before the afternoon commute).

New Construction Access -- Next week the contractor will start building a wall that is part of a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge.

Landslide Mitigation – Work on the landslide is expected to wrap up in mid-June.

West Work Bridge – On Monday, crews are expected to complete the decking of the first six spans of the work bridge. Piles for the remaining spans will be installed this summer.

East Side Work

New Bridge – The work zone where the new east approach is being built continues to be highly active. The photo below shows a construction worker climbing a steel rebar cage that will be part of one of the columns for the east approach. The work is progressing from east to west.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – The contractor began saw cutting the first river pier this week. The water saw prevents dust during the demolition. Each pier will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom.

New Bridge – This week the contractor placed the first casing for a foundation shaft of a river pier for the new bridge. Next week the contractor will begin oscillating the casing back and forth into the river bed. Excavation will then take place within this contained structure, which will be filled with concrete and steel rebar.

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. The contractor plans to work on the eastside on Saturday, May 18 during the day.

Sellwood Bridge construction even wakes the deaf

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:41:00 -0700

Jim Manning is legally deaf. He lives near the Sellwood Bridge in Portland and usually sleeps well. Except recently “When I go to bed, I take my hearing aids off,” he said. “But last night the sound woke me up.”

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Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update - May 10

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:22:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 remains closed nights and most of the day (except from 4 pm to 7 pm) weekdays between SW Taylors Ferry Road and the project limits south of the bridge while the contractor excavates the hillside west of the highway.
6th & Tacoma Work Zone: Concrete barricades were installed along Tacoma St. between SE 6th Ave. and the west end of the bridge today, in preparation for work on the new bridge approach. Tacoma St. and 6th Ave. will remain open in both directions during this work and all turn movements are still allowed.
Speed Limit Reminder: The speed limit on the bridge and in the work zone on Hwy. 43 is 25 mph. The speed limit is in effect at all hours and days of the week.

For safety, we urge bridge users not to cut through the narrow residential streets in the Sellwood area to dodge commute traffic.

West Side Work

Retaining Walls – Installation of steel piles for the retaining walls continue north and south of the bridge. Night work north of the bridge requires one lane to be closed in each direction from 7 pm to 6 am.

Construction activity remains heavy near the cemetery entrance, where flaggers direct traffic during the work day (before the afternoon commute).

New Construction Access -- Late next week the contractor will start building a new construction access road from northbound Hwy. 43 to the work zone south of the bridge along the river. In 2014 the current construction entrance at the former Staff Jennings property will close, as construction of the east side on the interchange begins.

Landslide Mitigation – Activity is winding down in this area as work wraps up in the next few weeks.

West Work Bridge – Crews are installing steel beams and deck timbers for the work bridge (see photo). The first three spans are decked, and three more spans will be decked next week. River piles for the end spans cannot be installed until the summer in-water work period begins in July.

East Side Work

Work Bridge – Work wrapped up this week on strengthening at the end of the bridge that is needed for the work on the river pier foundations that starts May 15.

New Bridge – The work zone where the new east approach is being built continues to be highly active. The contractor is installing foundation shafts for six approach columns. The new approach will have six sets of columns, compared to the current bridge’s 15. Each shaft ties into bedrock 50 to 70 feet below ground.

The new bridge columns sit on the foundations, starting 10 to 15 feet below ground. This month rebar cages and column forms will be installed above ground. The work is progressing from east to west.

Near the river’s edge, one of the 10-foot diameter foundations for Bent 6 has been installed (see photo: note that the home in the photo is vacant during construction). Bent 6 will support the end of the east arch span.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – This week the contractor installed equipment that will be used to remove the old river piers. Saw cutting the first river pier is scheduled to begin May 15. Saw-cutting will use water to minimize dust. Each pier will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom. Work will progress from east to west.

New Bridge – Wednesday, May 15 will be a significant milestone for the project. That day the contractor plans to begin drilling the first foundation shaft for a river pier of the new bridge. The first drilled shaft will be for the easternmost river pier. Excavation happens within a contained structure, so it is permitted before the summer in-water work period.

Construction Work Hours

Normal weekday work hours are 7 am to 6 pm. Night work continues weeknights on the west side of Hwy. 43. No work is planned this weekend.