Portland metro Thursday traffic: Fleet arrival bridge lifts slow traffic this afternoon

Two bridges are raised to allow for a naval vessel to pass under.

Portland bridges raise for Fleet Week ship departures. Courtesy of Multnomah County Sheriff.

The final three vessels in the Rose Festival Fleet are expected to arrive in Portland between 2:45 and 4 p.m. Thursday. Ship arrivals will cause three of Portland’s downtown bridges to rise, sometimes staying open for up to 20 minutes. Those who use the Broadway, Steel or Morrison bridges should choose alternate routes during that time. Note that the lower sidewalk of the Steel Bridge will close to all users during lifts. Two F-18 jets will do two flyovers set to accompany the ships’ arrival on Thursday.

The ships will depart between 11-11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 9 and 7:45- 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 10. Bridge users should be ready for morning delays on Monday. Commuters are advised to choose alternate bridges for Willamette River crossing including the Hawthorne, Marquam and Fremont bridges. Bicyclists and pedestrians can also use the Hawthorne or Tilikum Crossing.

Arrival and departure times are estimates and depend on several factors including security and river levels.

Fleet ship arrivals and departures also delay TriMet which must hold MAX trains and several bus lines. Most MAX lines use the Steel Bridge, so delays in MAX schedules are routine during the ships’ arrivals. TriMet warns MAX riders to build in an extra 30-60 minutes into their afternoon commute Thursday and for the Monday morning commute when the ships leave.

Fleet ships tie up along the waterfront between the Morrison and the Steel bridges. Tours are available during Rose Festival Fleet Week.

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TRIMET ELEVATOR RHINE STREET 8:33 a.m.: TriMet reports the east elevator at the Rhine-Lafayette Pedestrian Overpass is out of service.

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OUTER SOUTHEAST 8:25 a.m.: Injury crash on Southeast 148th Avenue and Powell Boulevard.

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SUNSET HIGHWAY 7:57 a.m.: Vehicle fire in the left lane of U.S. 26 westbound near the Jefferson onramp is causing a backup into the Vista Ridge Tunnel.

Update 8:49 a.m.: Took nearly an hour, but this is now clear.

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GRESHAM 7:28 a.m.: Injury crash on Southeast Burnside Street at First Street.

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The I-405 Ramps Project continues through the summer and will have a long-term closure in July (more details to come). For now, North Interstate Avenue is closed to southbound vehicle traffic from south of the Kaiser Permanente Building to North Knott Street from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday, June 6. TriMet MAX service should not be interrupted. North Interstate Avenue will remain open to bicycles and pedestrians until North Graham Street. Signs will direct travelers to detours.

Interstate Ave detour

Detour map for Interstate 405 Ramps Project closure.

Other traffic impacts this week include:

  • Single lane closure on the ramp from I-5 south to I-405 south from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m through Friday, June 7.
  • Shoulder closure on I-405 south off-ramp to North Kerby from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Friday, June 7.
  • Single lane 24/7 closure on North Kerby / North Cook for construction equipment staging and work area until fall 2020.

Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland

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