Multnomah Falls footbridge remains closed

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The historic Multnomah Falls footbridge remains closed after a large boulder crashed through it last week, causing considerable damage.

The U.S. Forest Service reported Friday that the Benson Bridge that traverses the falls is closed indefinitely. On Jan. 9, a boulder damaged a 4-by-4-foot section of the decking and railing. No one was hurt.

The USFS is working to find a contractor who can repair the bridge, which is expected to remain closed for several months. An estimate on the cost of the repairs was not confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Larch Mountain Trail that leads from the Multnomah Falls Lodge remains open up to the bridge. However, the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop and the Horsetail Falls Loop are both closed.

On Thursday, a group of hikers got lost on the Wahkeena Loop after discovering that the bridge was closed. They were safely rescued.

http://www.koin.com/news/oregon/multnomah-falls-bridge-closed-indefinitely

I also want to share the one comment that was posted to the KOIN article

Mick Wagner 

• 3 days ago

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"Several months"?? "Working to find a contractor"?? What the hell is going on here? It's not rocket science - the initial inspection showed that the substructure is sound and wasn't damaged. So it's just a matter of cutting out the damaged section, setting up a form, and pouring a new section with concrete that's made to emulate the original formula, both structurally and cosmetically. And you need a contractor and several months to get it done? I'm pretty sure I could find a Boy Scout Troop that could do that on a Saturday afternoon, as a public service project.

Leaving it as it is for "several months" is simply NOT an option, and the Forest Service needs to understand that! In addition to the damage to the tourism industry, and the literally tens - if not hundreds - of thousands of dollars that will be lost from tourists, it also creates a potentially hazardous situation. There are actually several different ways to approach the falls from the top, some with multiple sub-trails, and lots of folks take that route, with the thought that when they get to the falls, it's all downhill from there. There will be some who will get to to top of the falls, and finding the signage about the blocked bridge, may not have the stamina to re-trace their original path. Worse yet, it's possible that somebody in that position might not see the signage, and make it all the way down to the bridge, before realizing that it's blocked, and be stuck there, without the energy to make the climb back up!

If the Forest service can't take proper care of this valuable public resource, then the State of Oregon needs to exercise eminent domain and take over its ownership and operation. I'm not sure how the feds can make claim to it in the first place, since it's clearly a "waterway", and under Oregon law, is supposed to be owned by the citizens of the state!