Repairs underway at North Going Street Bridge
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The North Going Street Bridge is undergoing both short-term and long-term fixes after a train derailed and struck a support beam on the overpass last Friday.
After the initial collision with the Union Pacific freight train, the Portland Bureau of Transportation closed the bridge to traffic all day Saturday, September 7, and opened the bridge to single lane traffic on Sunday. Two lanes are now currently available for travelers.
PBOT is currently working on the 86-year-old bridge with the hopes of opening a third lane to traffic by next week.
Union Pacific will be halting operations on the rail nearest to the damaged support beam this weekend so that contractors can safely dig around the base and inspect it.
It might be several months before crews are able to open more lanes to traffic on the bridge.
In the meantime, travelers are asked to stay off of North River Street — a private street that runs through the company’s Albina Yard.
The North Going Street Bridge has an estimated 35,000 crossings a day in both directions, making it one of the busiest bridges in the region, said PBOT.