PORTLAND The iconic Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls is due to reopen Memorial Day after sustaining major damage from a falling boulder earlier in the year.
The U.S. Forest Service announced that it will host a reopening ceremony for the Benson Bridge in the lower plaza at Multnomah Falls on May 30. The bridge and surrounding trails will open to the public the following Monday, said Lynn Burditt of the Forest Service.
The rock hit the 100-year-old bridge on Jan. 9, punching a four-by-four foot hole in the concrete arch bridge and its railing.
The bridge and viewing plaza nearby have been closed for repair ever since.
Catworks Construction of Battle Ground, Wash. repaired the damage, cleaned the bridge, and applied a new seal coat to prevent deterioration caused by wet weather, Burditt said.
The Wahkeena to Multnomah Falls trail will be passable upon reopening, according to Forest Service staff said.
The 45-foot-long bridge stands 70 feet in the air and affords close-up views of the thundering, 611- foot column of the water that is Multnomah Falls.
