Northeast 33rd Avenue Bridge closes as crews repair cracked column

Extreme temperatures during the heat dome of 2021 caused damage to one of the structure’s concrete supports. Work is expected to finish midsummer.

A Portland Bureau of Transportation engineer inspects a crack beneath the Northeast 33rd Avenue Bridge.

Portland’s aging transportation infrastructure is not resilient against climate change.

Photo via PBOT

Portland is still feeling the harmful effects of the 2021 heat dome event. Hundreds of people died across the PNW due to hyperthermia and the extreme temperatures also damaged infrastructure by buckling roads and melting power cables on the Portland Streetcar.

It also caused a crack in a concrete support column on the Northeast 33rd Avenue Bridge, which connects the Concordia neighborhood with Columbia Boulevard. Starting Tuesday, May 16, the bridge and all of its ramps will be fully closed until midsummer as the final stages of repair work commence.

Portland Bureau of Transportation crews will use a jack to lift the bridge and support it with temporary beams while they demolish the old concrete column and replace it. The structure is 90 years old; if more damage is discovered, the project could be extended.

Detour signs will be posted, directing northbound drivers to Northeast Dekum or Lombard streets and southbound drivers to Northeast 60th Avenue.