Hawthorne Bridge Beam Strengthening

Project Information

Aerial image showing the location of the work to be done underneath the Hawthorne Boulevard onramp above MLK Jr Blvd.

Street level image showing the location of the work to be done underneath the Hawthorne Boulevard onramp above MLK Jr Blvd.

  • Location: Hawthorne Street bridge ramp above SE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./Highway 99E (view map)
  • Schedule: Completed early 2020
  • Contractor: Blackrock Construction performed the heat straightening, while county crews did the rest of the work
  • Estimated Total Cost: $150,000 
  • Funding Source: County General Willamette River Bridge Funds

Project Description

This project repaired and reinforced steel beams supporting the bridge off-ramp on SE Hawthorne Blvd. above SE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The beams had been struck and damaged by trucks carrying high loads.

First a contractor heated the damaged beams in order to strengthen them. Then county maintenance crews installed steel support plates to reduce damage in future collisions.

Finally our crews added new signs to help drivers assess their risk. The signs show that the right lanes have a higher clearance than the left lanes.

Traffic Impacts

There were lane closures on MLK Boulevard at off-peak times during the repair of the beams above the roadway. Crews worked at night, 10pm to 7am, and three of the four lanes were closed at times during those hours.

All traffic lanes were open during the weekday afternoon commute. There was no impact to traffic on the bridge or the ramps.

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