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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 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.

Foundation construction underway for new Sellwood Bridge

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:40:00 -0700

With little publicity, the very quiet blasting near the west-side approach of the new Sellwood Bridge, reported on in the last issue of THE BEE, ended in April.

But, activity has picked up considerably in the east end, just north of the Sellwood Harbor Condominiums. Multnomah County project spokesman Mike Pullen told THE BEE. “Contractors are starting to build the foundations for the new eastern approach.”

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Work at 6th & Tacoma on May 10

Sellwood Bridge Project — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:47:00 -0700

Flaggers will direct traffic at the west end of the Sellwood Bridge on Friday, May 10 between 9 am and about 2 pm while the bridge contractor installs concrete barricades along SE Tacoma St. between SE 6th Ave. and the west end of the bridge. Installation of the barricades will require a single lane closure at times, with flaggers directing two-way traffic in the open lane. Bridge users can avoid delays by using an alternate route such as the Ross Island Bridge.

Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:50:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Recent Traffic Congestion: Morning traffic jams occurred in the project area this week on Monday and Thursday. The cause was a malfunctioning traffic signal at SW Nevada and SW Macadam, north of the project. The City of Portland is working to fix the signal, which went into a “Flash” mode that caused each vehicle to stop. This work is not related to the bridge project.
Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 is 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. The week of May 6, Hwy. 43 traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction on weeknights north of the bridge.

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 will continue north of the bridge at night next week. Hwy. 43 traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

The walls are built in a top-down method for safety and to maintain the stability of the slope during construction. Vertical steel piles are drilled underground at the top of the slope. As soil is excavated, horizontal lagging beams are added to the wall face. By the end of this year, the wall will be constructed down to the elevation of traffic lanes on Hwy. 43.

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

Landslide Mitigation – The last grade beams connecting rows of underground shear piles will be installed in the next two weeks. Major work to halt the landslide wraps up this month, with a few finish tasks in early June.

West Work Bridge – Work at the west end of the bridge is shifting to construction of the work bridge. The contractor is adding horizontal steel beams and deck timbers to the river spans, which will continue through May. River piles for the end spans cannot be installed until the summer in-water work period begins in July.

East Side Work

Work Bridge – Construction of the east work bridge is nearly complete. Steel beams are being installed at the end of the bridge to add stability during construction of the river pier foundations this spring.

New Bridge – The east approach to the new bridge continues to be a highly active work zone. The contractor is installing foundation shafts for six approach columns. 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. In the next few weeks, rebar cages and forms for the columns will be installed above ground, as the first parts of the new bridge become visible. The work is progressing from east to west.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – The contractor is installing more equipment to remove the old river piers this spring. Saw cutting the first river pier has been rescheduled to begin the week of May 13. The first pier to be removed will be the one closest to the east side. The piers will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom. Work will progress from east to west.

New Bridge – The contractor plans to begin drilling the first foundation shaft for a river pier of the new bridge on May 15. The first drilled shaft will be for the easternmost river pier. Because this work happens within a contained structure, it is permitted to happen outside 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. The contractor will work on Saturday, May 4 from 7 am to 5 pm on the east side of the river, repairing a water line and preparing the foundation for Bent 6, near the river bank.

Meeting with Sellwood Bridge Artist May 1

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:22:00 -0700

Mikyoung Kim

Mikyoung Kim returns to Portland to meet with the Sellwood community to present her plan for the Sellwood Bridge Gateway Public Art Project. Kim, an award-winning international landscape architect and artist has completed projects as diverse civic gardens and municipal playgrounds to large scale parks and institutional master plans and was selected by a panel of local artists, community representatives and project team members. Her concept, "Stratum Project," is a "series of ecologically inspired geologic sculptural totems. Layers of various recycled and formed materials create a quilted surface that represents earth, water and sky as the gateway to the Sellwood Community". The multi-part installation will line both sides of the block just east of the bridge, up to 6th and Tacoma.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013
SMILE Station
8210 SE 13th
5:30-7:00 p.m.
free and open to the public

For more information:
Peggy Kendellen, RACC Public Art Manager
503-823-4196

RACC Website

Download this information (pdf, 236 kb)

Sellwood Bridge Field Work Update

Sellwood Bridge Project — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0700

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Hwy. 43 Lane Closures: The outside southbound lane of Hwy. 43 is 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. The week of April 29, Hwy. 43 traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction on weeknights north of the bridge (see retaining walls below).

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 – This week the contractor began night work installing steel piles for the retaining walls (see night photo below). Excavation of the hillside west of the highway continues during the day. Construction activity has been heavy near the entrance to Riverview Cemetery, where flaggers direct traffic during the work day (before the afternoon commute).

No more night blasting is scheduled, although blasting may still be needed if large rock bodies are encountered during excavation. Next week night work will shift to north of the bridge. Due to the steep hillside in this area, Hwy. 43 traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Landslide Mitigation – The final ground anchors and grade beams connecting rows of underground shear piles will be installed in the next few weeks, as this important phase of the project wraps up.

West Work Bridge – This week the contractor installed piles for the approach spans to the work bridge. Work on the approach spans continues in May.

East Side Work

Work Bridge – This week the contractor completed the deck of the east work bridge, including installation of the last girder (see photo). The decking is made up of 12” x 12” wood beams on top of steel girders. In the next several weeks the contractor will install steel beams at the end of the work bridge to add stability during construction of the river pier foundations.

New Bridge – The project’s most active work zone continues to be where the east approach to the new bridge is under construction (see photo). The contractor is excavating foundation shafts, building and installing steel rebar cages, and filling shafts with concrete, in a progression from east to west.

Only the southern half of the four easternmost approach spans can be built while the old Sellwood east approach remains in service. Bent 6, near the river bank, will be built at its full width, because the northern curve of the detour bridge provides enough space. Bent 6 will support the east end of one of the river span arches.

River Work

Old River Pier Removal – Removal of the old concrete river piers was rescheduled to begin on Monday, April 29. The contractor will use water saws and barge-mounted cranes to remove large sections of the piers. The first pier to be removed will be the one closest to the east side. The piers will be removed down to the mud line, at the river bottom.

Meeting with Public Artist

Mikyoung Kim is the artist selected for the public art project connected with the new Sellwood Bridge. On Wednesday, May 1 from 5:30 – 7 pm Mikyoung will meet with the public to discuss her project at SMILE Station, at 8210 SE 13th Ave. (one block south of Tacoma St.). An event flyer is attached (pdf, 236 kb). More information is available on the Regional Arts & Culture Council’s website.

Her project, which will be installed at the end of construction, will be located on Tacoma St. between Grand Ave. and 6th Ave.

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 will work on Saturday, April 27 from 7 am to 5 pm on the east side of the river, laying rock for access and adding horizontal lagging beams to the piles at Bent 6.

Local students share Sellwood Bridge landslide models with county board

Sellwood Bridge Project — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:40:00 -0700

Five high school seniors from the ACE Academy in Northeast Portland presented two models of the Sellwood Bridge landslide mitigation at the April 23 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners.

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County Poised to Buy Land Near Sellwood Bridge, then Give it Back

Sellwood Bridge Project — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:38:00 -0700

To all the costly facets of the new Sellwood Bridge, add paying rent.

Or, as Multnomah County legalese terms it: a "settlement of condemnation litigation associated with the Sellwood Bridge Project."

The County Board of Commissioners tomorrow will vote on a proposed settlement with the owner of several parcels of land at the bridge's east end. Officials need the land—both to widen Tacoma Street and to use as a staging area—so they're buying it off owner Diana Richardson for almost five years, she said today. The county will return the land 57 months later.

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