Project will widen sidewalk at east end of Hawthorne Bridge Friday
5/16/14 – 2:41 pm Contacts: Mike Pullen, Communications Office, 503-209-4111, mike.j.pullen@multco.us
Multnomah County is making pedestrian improvements at the east end of the Hawthorne viaduct, the eastbound structure that connects the bridge with SE Hawthorne Boulevard. The project will widen 415 feet of sidewalk between the Clay Street offramp and SE Grand Avenue. The current sidewalk is two feet wide, and will be widened to six feet. New curb inlets for catch basins will be installed under the sidewalk to avoid steel gratings in the bicycle lane. New sidewalk ramps will be built on each side of the Clay Street exit and at Grand Avenue to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making the bridge’s south sidewalk more accessible. Construction of the ramps at the Clay Street exit started this week. Sidewalk widening will begin next week. Traffic lanes on the viaduct will remain open except when one lane is closed during a concrete pour. Bicycle and pedestrian access will be maintained throughout construction. The project is scheduled to be completed in July, weather permitting. Multnomah County maintains the Hawthorne Bridge, five other Willamette River bridges and 300 miles of roads.
For more information, visit www.multco.us/bridges.