Eastbank Esplanade fails for Rose Festival
It was bound to happen. Just as the Graggmeister was waxing poetic about the Eastbank Esplanade as one of the crowning achievements of Zsa Zsa of the parks bureau, along comes news that part of it's closing because the floating trail doesn't work in the high water we're having. It's expected to stay closed for a week and a half. There'll no doubt be a whole lot of busy work for parks and transportation crews setting up a detour. Plus, will someone patrol to make sure folks stay off the closed section?
We love the Esplanade, but the whole idea of it was that it would work even when the water was high. Indeed, it's functioned well in high water in previous years. What gives this time?
| Posted at 1:11 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
I'm not so sure we are out of the woods with the high water situation. It's still snowing in the mountains, and we haven't even begun to have any warm weather... yet. A week and a half closure is the least of our worries if the river gets as high as it did in '96.
Posted by Usual Kevin | May 31, 2011 1:28 PM
Global warming works in mysterious ways...
Posted by zonedar | May 31, 2011 1:31 PM
"We love the Esplanade"
So does everyone, just no one uses it (by observation.)
Posted by Steve | May 31, 2011 1:37 PM
Joggers and bikers are on the thing all the time. Along with some creepy people, of course -- this is Portland. And during Rose Festival, it gets a pretty good workout.
Posted by Jack Bog | May 31, 2011 1:47 PM
Has the water been this high since the esplanade was built? I was amazed crossing the Columbia a few days ago how high the water looked from the Interstate bridge. And the Willamette certainly looks high against the westside river wall.
Posted by Miles | May 31, 2011 2:10 PM
From the article "The Willamette River is currently running around 17 feet. Official flood stage is 18 feet."
So the floating portion fails 1 foot before flood stage? Really? Who designs things to not work at least to the flood stage? (Well besides nuclear reactors of course.) I think we should get our money back. ;)
Posted by Michael | May 31, 2011 2:23 PM
We're about a foot below flood stage. The folks in charge of the dams know what they're doing and no doubt learned a lot in 1996. Looking at the 25 highest crests, it seems like it's rare for the river to go above 18 feet. I can't find any records for 17 feet, though. This may be as high as it's been since the Esplanade opened in 2001.
Posted by Bean | May 31, 2011 2:35 PM
I love the esplanade also. I just can't stand the Willamette. It stinks, the waters ugly,contaminated, and its so dirty you can't even see three feet into it.
Posted by john dull | May 31, 2011 2:37 PM
The Esplanade works just fine. Just people are stupid and there's sleazy lawyers willing to sue over tripping over an obvious bump.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/05/high_waters_forces_closure_of.html
Posted by ws | May 31, 2011 2:48 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/05/high_waters_forces_closure_of.html
Oh look, another former news reporter (Fox 12 I think) with a cushy government job. Clearly, his resume sheds some light on why he's got the gig with the Parks department. Does each bureau really need a PR guy / gal?
http://www.markrossnewsguy.com/ross_resume.pdf
Posted by Jonathan Smale | May 31, 2011 3:01 PM
Don't forget the statute of Vera Katz sitting there with a cackling smile that says, "Why the heck did the plop me over here on the Eastside?"
Posted by Garage Wine | May 31, 2011 3:32 PM
Mark Ross said until the repairs are done.
What repairs?
Is the thing not funtioning correctly and that is why the bump is happenineg?
Why can't the just tell us what the problem is?
Posted by Ben | May 31, 2011 3:45 PM
The ramps that transition from the land to the floating sidewalk/docks were badly designed and become serious hazards at this water level. The bike blog has photos http://www.bikeportland.org/
The worst part of the design is the fact that the shore side abutment is too low.
Posted by geneb | May 31, 2011 7:58 PM