Sidewalk on SB I-5 Bridge closed after vandalism

The sidewalk on the southbound span of the Interstate 5 Bridge is closed after crews discovered vandals had disabled a gate.

The gate that was damaged is designed to protect the public during bridge lifts by closing the sidewalk to pedestrians and bicyclists. The Oregon Department of Transportation said that the sidewalk will remain closed through Wednesday.

The sidewalk on the northbound span was not damaged and remains open.

“We hope it’s not too serious of a disruption,” ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton said. “People can still get over the river; you just have to cross over to the path of the northbound span.” There are paths to do that at both ends of the bridge.

The Interstate 5 Bridge is jointly owned by Oregon and Washington but is maintained by ODOT.

The closure comes at a time when bridge lifts have been more frequent.

The Columbia River is above flood stage, which reduces the clearance level for vessels and brings about more bridge lifts. From March 1 through Monday, the bridge was lifted 23 times, well above normal.