Crossing Franklin Boulevard to build a bridge

From ODOT-

With fall in full swing, crews worked on a crisp morning to place steel beams over Franklin Boulevard for the new Willamette River Bridge. The beams will be welded together to create a temporary base for the forms that will shape the new northbound bridge.

Construction crews place steel to support falsework over Franklin Boulevard.

Next, carpenters will build wooden falsework around the rebar supports to create forms. Crews will pour a special concrete mixture into the forms to create cast-in-place box beams that span this major thoroughfare. Traffic on Franklin Boulevard will be subject to delays at times as wood is lifted into place.

Flaggers stop traffic on Franklin Boulevard while crews move materials into place.

In the spring of 2013, crews will remove the temporary steel structure, returning Franklin Boulevard to the regular traffic pattern of two lanes in each direction and signaling the final stages of the bridge construction. For your safety, continue to observe all warning signs, reduce your speed and follow the flagger’s instructions as you travel on Franklin Boulevard.