Mechanical malfunction leaves Portland’s Hawthorne Bridge lift span raised, forcing closure and traffic diversions citywide

Bridge lift stuck raised during afternoon disruption

Portland’s Hawthorne Bridge was closed to traffic after a mechanical malfunction left the bridge’s lift span unable to return to its normal position. The closure was reported Tuesday afternoon, February 24, 2026, at about 4:30 p.m., with no immediate estimate for reopening.

The Hawthorne Bridge is a vertical-lift drawbridge across the Willamette River that carries multiple travel modes, including private vehicles, transit, bicycling and walking. Because it is one of the central east–west crossings in the city core, an unplanned shutdown can quickly affect commute patterns on both sides of the river.

Why the bridge’s design makes failures disruptive

As a vertical-lift bridge, the Hawthorne’s central section rises and lowers like an elevator, using cables, counterweights and motors. In normal operations, a lift typically takes only minutes, and a bridge operator follows a step-by-step safety sequence that includes traffic signals, pedestrian and vehicle gates, and span locks that stabilize the lift span when it is seated.

When the lift span cannot be lowered, the bridge may be unusable for road traffic until crews can restore reliable control of the lift system and confirm the span can be safely locked back into place.

Immediate impacts and what travelers can expect

Officials urged drivers to avoid the area and use alternative crossings. With the Hawthorne out of service, traffic typically shifts to nearby bridges—particularly the Morrison and Burnside bridges—raising the likelihood of slower travel times and congestion on key downtown approaches.

• Motorists should anticipate heavier volumes on neighboring Willamette River crossings.
• People biking or walking may need to reroute to another bridge, adding travel time and changing access to downtown connections.
• Transit trips that normally use the crossing may face delays or detours depending on operational needs and roadway conditions.

Recent history shows intermittent operational issues

The Hawthorne Bridge has experienced prior operational problems. In April 2025, the bridge lift became stuck in the air amid electrical issues, prompting on-scene troubleshooting and a request for travelers to use alternate routes until the span returned to service. Separate incidents in previous years have also involved lift-related electrical malfunctions that required crews to manually reposition the span before reopening.

About the Hawthorne Bridge and its lift schedule

Built in 1910, the Hawthorne Bridge is the oldest operating vertical-lift bridge in the United States and is among Portland’s busiest crossings. It is managed by Multnomah County, which also operates several other Willamette River bridges in Portland. River traffic can request openings outside weekday peak commute windows, and the Hawthorne’s relatively low clearance leads to frequent lift operations compared with other nearby spans.

As repairs proceed, the practical question for travelers is not only when the span can move again, but when it can be returned to service with confirmed safety for all users.

As of the latest available update, the county had not provided a reopening time.