Broadway Bridge To Close Tuesday Night For Rall Wheel Replacement

PORTLAND, OR — Late night commuters take notice: the Broadway Bridge will close from 11 p.m. Tuesday to around 5 a.m. Wednesday while crews perform survey work as part of replacing the bridge's Rall wheel, according to the Multnomah County officials.

The Rall wheels reportedly support the weight of the Broadway Bridge's opening spans, and over time have begun to wear down after a century of use — thus requiring replacement, officials said.

The Broadway Bridge uses four large steel Rall wheels to roll back and engage larger weights that lift the two center spans, officials said in a statement Friday. Each wheel weighs more than 88,000 pounds and lifts spans weighing in excess of 2,250 tons each, according to the county's bridge project website.

The whole replacement project is estimated to take six months.

For more information on Portland's bridges, visit www.multco.us/bridges.

Photo Courtesy: Multnomah County