PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County will close the north sidewalk of the Morrison Bridge and the bridge's onramp from Southwest Naito Parkway starting Jan. 6 for a painting project.
The ramp and sidewalk will remain closed through the remainder of 2022, according to a news release from the county. Eastbound traffic from Naito will need to access the bridge from the intersection at Southwest Alder Street and Southwest 2nd Avenue during the closure.
Contractor Southern Road and Bridge is gearing up to give the bridge its first new coat of paint since it opened in 1958. The $20 million project will repaint the bridge silver and is scheduled to wrap up in the summer of 2023.
The project will involve removing the original lead-based paint from the structure, which will require the use of containment structures to avoid any release of old or new paint into the environment, according to the county.
The closure of the ramp and sidewalk will give the work crews room to set up equipment and add a work platform for painters under the bridge. Most of the painting will take place below the bridge deck, according to the county, except for metal parapets and curbs along the sidewalks on the lift span.
The project will also replace the lift span sidewalk panels, clean some of the exterior surfaces on the bridge deck and towers and identify and repair any areas where the bridge's steel structure has corroded, according to the news release.
