During the closure a contractor will pour concrete for the west leaf of the lift span deck and balance the counterweight to support the heavier new deck.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Morrison Bridge closed in both directions this morning for two weeks.

During the closure a contractor will pour concrete for the west leaf of the lift span deck and balance the counterweight to support the heavier new deck. The two-week bridge closure will impact traffic on nearby roads and bridges.

Ramps between the Morrison Bridge and Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 will be closed, except for the ramp from the Morrison Bridge westbound to I-5 north.

Ramps between the Morrison Bridge and Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 will be closed, except for the ramp from the Morrison Bridge westbound to I-5 north.

The closure will increase congestion on the Hawthorne and Burnside bridges during commute hours.

Commuters may want to avoid the drawbridges by: Using the Marquam and Fremont bridges westbound in the morning to access downtown.

Exiting downtown via Interstate 405 to the Marquam and Fremont bridges to access I-5 and I-84 in the afternoon.

Due to construction that has closed two lanes on the Broadway Bridge, the bridge is not recommended as an alternate route.

Motorists can also access I-84 eastbound at NE Grand Avenue and NE Everett Street or NE Irving and NE 16th Ave.

Access to I-5 north on the eastside is from the ramp at NE Broadway and N Williams Ave.

I-5 south traffic can access the onramp to Highway 99E/U.S. 26. Commuters may want to consider using the MAX Light Rail System to get into and out of downtown during the closure.

The closure also has an impact bicyclists and pedestrians. The bridge will reopen earlier than Sunday, October 22 if the work is completed ahead of schedule.

The project is nearly complete. During the week of October 23 there will be lane closures at off-peak hours while the contractor removes construction equipment. All six traffic lanes will be open by October 31.

Once the county is done with the Morrison, work moves to the Burnside Bridge.

Starting the first week of October, Multnomah County spokesperson Mike Pullen says, is the beginning of a project that could take two years. The goal is to make repairs to the Burnside Bridge, including plans to fix the railing, sidewalks and worn areas of the bridge deck. For the most part, the Burnside Bridge will remain open for construction, however some lanes will close.

“Some of our bridges are more than 100 years, and the Burnside Bridge, which we'll be working on next, is a 90 year old bridge,” said Pullen. “Some of these older bridges need some care if we're going to keep them going. The generation that built them 100 years ago, they would be shocked to know we are still using then. They have parts, really, from another generation.”