Photo: KATU
The flags atop the Fremont Bridge will not fly at half-staff this Memorial Day amid concerns that asbestos from a recent fire may have leached into the archway that workers use to reach the top.
The May 14 fire destroyed a warehouse on the east side of the Willamette River under the bridge. The plume, which may have contained asbestos, covered the bridge and was detected a mile upriver.
ODOT workers climb through the archway to replace the flags at the top, lower them to half-staff or perform other maintenance duties. But the asbestos concerns prompted ODOT to prohibit workers from using the archway.
A consulting company recently took samples from inside the arch and will test them for the presence of asbestos. Results should be known in a few weeks.
Workers will not be allowed inside the arch until ODOT is certain they can operate safely.
The Fremont Bridge, which opened in 1973, is owned and operated by the state of Oregon. One American flag and one Oregon flag fly from poles at the top and are lowered to half-staff for certain holidays and as ordered by the governor or the president. The top of the bridge, the location of the flagpoles, is 381 feet above the river.