The Patriot Files Forums - Coast Guard authorizes closure of Steel Railroad-Highway Bridge in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Coast Guard has authorized the closure of the Steel Railroad-Highway Bridge through Jan. 18, 2017.

The bridge, owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad, spans the Willamette River at river mile marker 12.1 will be outfitted with electrical upgrades to the upper and lower lift spans and will be closed to maritime traffic that requires the bridge to be lifted.

When both decks are in the closed-to-navigation position, the bridge provides 26 feet of vertical clearance above Columbia River Datum 0.0. The bridge will not be able to open for emergencies, and there is no immediate alternate route for vessels to pass. Vessels which do not require an opening of these two bridges may continue to transit beneath the bridges during the authorized closure.

Commercial and recreational waterway users that regularly transit under the bridge were notified prior to the closure to assist them in planning for the transit disruption.

For more information on this closure, contact Keith Wagner at 503-249-3007.

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