Yes, the Portland Timbers are hosting another professional soccer match, so the Morrison is decked out in “Timbers Green”.

We hope everyone enjoys the green-enhanced riverfront view, even the Chivas USA fans while they’re here visiting on behalf of their team.

This month ends with “Timbers Green” on the bridge as the local soccer team hosts Salt Lake at Jeld-Wen Field.

Once again the Morrison piers shine bright green to excite local fans and beautify the riverfront for us all.

Go Portland Timbers!

The Morrison will be sporting  “Timbers Green” for the soccer match against Philadelphia at Jeld-Wen Field tonight.

If it’s possible to increase existing Portland Timbers fans’  level of enthusiasm, seeing their green on the bridge just might do it.  And even those who aren’t yet avid fans can enjoy the lovelier riverfront and thank the team for sharing their spirit with the community.

Electrical work on the Sellwood Bridge will require a single lane to be closed at times on Thursday, January 26 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Flaggers will direct traffic in both directions around the closed section of the westbound lane.  Drivers could experience delays of up to 20 minutes.  The bridge sidewalk will remain open.  The work is related to the bridge replacement project.

To avoid delays, drivers may want to consider using alternate river crossings such as the Ross Island or Hawthorne bridges.

Multnomah County maintains the Sellwood Bridge and 300 miles of roads and bridges.  For bridge information, visit www.multco.us/bridges.

“Rave green” and “royal blue” have again been reserved for the Morrison bridge.

A Sounder fan has ensured that he and other visiting soccer fans and their team will really enjoy the waterfront lights this week-end.  Will that affect the game’s score?  Who knows.

In any case, we hope everyone will appreciate the beauty of the lights and the camaraderie of high spirits and fair competition.

A soccer fan from Seattle has reserved the Morrison piers for “rave green” and “royal blue” for Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

No matter the final score, we hope everyone will enjoy the lovely lights on the waterfront along with a game of honorable, albeit fierce, competition.

The Morrison piers will shine dark blue and orange in honor of a fan’s big birthday.  We hope the day is a great one and the lights help top it off.

The upper deck of the Steel Bridge will be closed this Monday and Tuesday during the evenings.  The lower pedestrian deck will remain open. Check out the Oregonian’s official announcement for more details: http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/01/portlands_steel_bridge_closed.html

Just for fun!

Construction on the Morrison Bridge lift span will resume on Tuesday, January 3 after a holiday shutdown.  The contractor will implement traffic changes similar to those that were in place from June through November.  Work will shift to replacing the open steel grating on the north half of the lift span.  Work is expected to be completed in early spring.

The $4.2 million project will improve safety for bridge users by replacing the steel grating with a solid deck surface that will provide greater traction for motor vehicles.  Work on the south half of the lift span has been completed.

Starting Tuesday, impacts to bridge traffic will include:

• One eastbound lane will remain open from S.W. 2^nd Avenue to I-5 north/I-84 east and to S.E. Belmont Street and S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd./Highway 99E.  Access from I-5 south/I-84 west to the Morrison Bridge and downtown Portland will remain open.
• The S.W. Naito Parkway onramp to the bridge will remain closed.
• The offramp from the bridge to S.E. Water Avenue will reopen by the end of next week.
• Westbound access to the bridge from S.E. Morrison Street and S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd./Highway 99E will be closed.  Alternate bridges for westbound traffic include the Hawthorne and Burnside. Access to I-5 northbound from S.E. Morrison Street and S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd./ Highway 99E remains open.
• The north sidewalk on the bridge is closed, but the multi-use path on the south side is open.
• TriMet’s 15-Belmont/N.W. 23^rd bus line continues to be re-routed across the Hawthorne Bridge.
• Only one drawbridge leaf can open for river traffic.

The open steel deck grating was part of the original design of bridge, which opened in 1958.  An open grating was used because its weight is light enough to be lifted for drawbridge openings and strong enough to support the weight of large vehicles.  The old steel grating is being replaced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) panels.  A similar system was installed on the Broadway Bridge in 2005.  FRP is a relatively new material that is also strong and light weight, but offers the added benefit of a solid surface.  The project’s general contractor is Conway Construction of Ridgefield, WA.

Multnomah County maintains the Morrison Bridge, five other Willamette River bridges and 300 miles of roads.   For more information, visitwww.multco.us/bridges.