Crews on the flood-ravaged Sandy River were clearing a major logjam on the south side of the I-84 Troutdale bridges.
Massive root balls and whole trees were jammed together across the entire width of the river. Witnesses said they have been piling up since last Sunday.
A crane and a large machine called a logging yarder were brought in to remove debris pinned against both the I-84 bridge and a temporary bridge to the south of it.
“There’s a lot of debris and we need to get it out of here as fast as possible,” said Brad Wurfel with ODOT.
Photos: Logjam on Sandy River
There are 36 additional piers in the water because of ongoing construction but crews with the Oregon Department of Transportation did have the foresight to make some change to that project in case flooding occurred.
Hamilton Construction also brought in a large Trac-Excavator with a claw bucket to pull logs out of the river. But even with all this extra effort, ODOT said it will take at least two weeks to break all the debris loose.
View Flooding log jam in a larger map
The logjam was also creating some area flooding. Troutdale police were going door-to-door to alert neighbors about the flood danger and to provide support.
Elsewhere, on Mt. Hood. the Sandy River overflowed its banks and flooded homes near Zigzag. It also took out a major road, leaving hundreds of people stranded in their homes for a day.
More: Flooding takes out road & homes near Zigzag
Interactive map: Oregon flood damage
