Portland residents should brace for significant transit disruptions as Fleet Week ships begin arriving downtown for the Portland Rose Festival. Starting Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy ships will dock at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, where they will be open for public tours from June 4 to June 7.
Bridge Lifts and Traffic Impact
The arrival of these ships necessitates the lifting of several key bridges, including the Broadway, Steel, and Burnside bridges. These lifts will affect all five MAX light rail lines that cross the Steel Bridge, as well as the Portland Streetcar’s A and B loops that use the Broadway Bridge. Additionally, all three bridges carry at least one bus line, leading to expected delays and traffic backups for both transit riders and car commuters.
Bicyclists and pedestrians will also face disruptions. The lower deck of the Steel Bridge, which serves as a bike and pedestrian path, will be closed for crowd control from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Tuesday and Wednesday, or until the last ship arrives each day.
Schedule and Duration of Disruptions
Multnomah County officials have indicated that three ships requiring bridge lifts are expected to arrive between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with four more arriving between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday. However, these times are tentative, and TriMet has warned that disruptions could begin as early as 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Each bridge lift may last up to 45 minutes.
TriMet has announced that buses crossing the Steel and Burnside bridges will be rerouted to alternative crossings when possible, but delays are still anticipated. The bus lines most likely to be affected include lines 4, 8, 12, 17, 19, 20, 35, 40, 44, and 77.
Future Disruptions
Further disruptions are expected when the ships depart on Monday morning, June 8. The lower deck of the Steel Bridge will again be closed all day from 6 a.m. until the last ship leaves, impacting bike and pedestrian traffic once more.
Original reporting: KGW Portland — read the source article.
