Bridge #48, the original wooden trestle bridge for the Springwater Division Line, which hauled passengers in maroon cars on 161 miles of track in the early 1900s, has officially expired.
2Rendering of new bridge at SE 45th Avenue
Bridge #48, the original wooden trestle bridge for the Springwater Division Line, which hauled passengers in maroon cars on 161 miles of track in the early 1900s, has officially expired.
3Bridge #48 – Current
“The footings are currently right in the middle of Johnson Creek and at this time of year, when you’ve got fast moving streams, debris piles up around the footings,” explains Maija Spencer, head of Parks Replacement Bond Community Engagement. “That’s bad for the fish and the bridge itself as more pressure builds up against it, it’s more likely to decay faster.”
4Bridge #48 – Current
“The footings are currently right in the middle of Johnson Creek and at this time of year, when you’ve got fast moving streams, debris piles up around the footings,” explains Maija Spencer, head of Parks Replacement Bond Community Engagement. “That’s bad for the fish and the bridge itself as more pressure builds up against it, it’s more likely to decay faster.”
5Bridge #48 – After
A new concrete and steel bridge will take its place among the corridor’s 17 bridges on the trail between OMSI and Boring, enhancing both user safety and fish habitat below in Johnson Creek. Construction is anticipated to start mid-May and should be completed in November 2019.
6Bridge #48 – After
A new concrete and steel bridge will take its place among the corridor’s 17 bridges on the trail between OMSI and Boring, enhancing both user safety and fish habitat below in Johnson Creek. Construction is anticipated to start mid-May and should be completed in November 2019.
7Bridge #48 – Detour
This detour explores a mostly quiet neighborhood, although Spencer cautions that the intersection at Johnson Creek Blvd can get hectic. “I’m sure more daring bikers might take the quicker route along Johnson Creek [Boulevard] if they feel confident. Most people are looking for an off-road experience and we wanted to ensure their safety.”
8Bridge #48 – Detour
This detour explores a mostly quiet neighborhood, although Spencer cautions that the intersection at Johnson Creek Blvd can get hectic. “I’m sure more daring bikers might take the quicker route along Johnson Creek [Boulevard] if they feel confident. Most people are looking for an off-road experience and we wanted to ensure their safety.”
9Bridge #140 – Current
This bridge just east of Powell Butte received a face lift in 2006 that included a partial steel upgrade. Now the wooden decking of the 1930s structure—currently slippery, uneven, and riddled with gaps—will be replaced with asphalt. “This was deemed a priority through the Parks Bond to fund replacement because of its critical condition,” says Spencer. “We were like, this could fail at anytime. We’d prefer to fix things before they fail.” Construction is expected to commence mid-May and end in six to eight weeks.
10Bridge #140 – Current
This bridge just east of Powell Butte received a face lift in 2006 that included a partial steel upgrade. Now the wooden decking of the 1930s structure—currently slippery, uneven, and riddled with gaps—will be replaced with asphalt. “This was deemed a priority through the Parks Bond to fund replacement because of its critical condition,” says Spencer. “We were like, this could fail at anytime. We’d prefer to fix things before they fail.” Construction is expected to commence mid-May and end in six to eight weeks.
11Bridge #140 – Detour
According to Spencer, this detour should feel as though you’ve wandered through a farm access road miles away from Portland proper. Lush trees, ambient light, trails to Powell Butte Nature Park, and horses mean this detour is a first-class second-choice.
12Bridge #140 – Detour
According to Spencer, this detour should feel as though you’ve wandered through a farm access road miles away from Portland proper. Lush trees, ambient light, trails to Powell Butte Nature Park, and horses mean this detour is a first-class second-choice.
For some cyclists, commuting along the Springwater Corridor is a true perk of Portland life: miles of car-free multi-use path that connect communities from the Willamette River all the way east to Boring. But all that use means wear and tear on the corridor’s trail and bridges—infrastructure that in some cases harkens back to its earlier history as a rail line.
Add one-time funding from the city’s 2014 Parks Replacement Bond to that near-constant need for repair, and the result, in recent years, has been warm-weather detours on stretches of the Springwater—just as cyclists and pedestrians pack the trail.
Prepare for more disruption this summer. Starting in June, the Springwater Corridor will be diverting an estimated 2,800 daily cyclists for bridge repair. The work will effectively shut down two stretches: one, between SE 45th and SE 55th, will require a detour south of Johnson Creek for up to seven months; the second will re-route pedestrians and cyclists between SE 174th and Circle Avenue for six to eight weeks.
![This detour explores a mostly quiet neighborhood, although Spencer cautions that the intersection at Johnson Creek Blvd can get hectic. “I’m sure more daring bikers might take the quicker route along Johnson Creek [Boulevard] if they feel confident. Most people are looking for an off-road experience and we wanted to ensure their safety.”](https://www.pdxmonthly.com/wp-content/uploads/ink-cloudinary/SE_45th_Bridge_Detour_Map_xnypzl.jpg)
