Hawthorne Bridge is now open
The Hawthorne Bridge reopened at 3:25 pm today after a 6 1/2-hour closure for an emergency cable repair. During the closure a county crew removed a damaged section of steel cable that helps pull up the lift span during openings for river traffic. A twenty-foot section of new cable was installed and clamped to the undamaged portion of the old cable. This temporary fix will remain in place for one to two months while a new full-length cable is manufactured and installed.
The damaged cable, called an uphaul operating rope, had a tear through about half of its one-inch diameter. The cause of the tear is not known but it appears to have developed over time. The damaged section will be evaluated and the county will review the cable’s design, maintenance and inspection procedures to determine if any changes need to be made.
The torn cable was discovered on Sunday during annual maintenance and inspection work. The cable connects the lift span with the east bridge tower and helps pull the 900-ton lift span up and hold it in place when the bridge opens for ships. The damaged cable is one of four similar cables. The others are in good working order. All four cables were installed in 1998.
A failure of the damaged cable could have damaged the lift span and prevented it from opening. While the temporary fix is in place the lift span can be raised 93 feet above the bridge deck, rather than the normal maximum 100 feet. This limit should not impact river traffic at this time of year.
The Hawthorne Bridge, which opened in 1910, is the oldest working vertical lift bridge in the country. Multnomah County maintains the Hawthorne Bridge and more than 300 miles of roads and bridges.
Posted on October 28, 2008
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