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The next step in building the long-awaited James Beard Public Market might involve removing a vestige of Harbor Drive.

The on-ramp and off-ramp at the Morrison Bridge‘s west end would be altered under preliminary plans by the project team, which includes MMDC Company. The south on-ramp would be connected to Southwest Morrison Street. The north off-ramp, connecting to Naito Parkway, would instead route to a traffic signal at Southwest Stark Street, where vehicles would turn to connect to Naito.

Though initial conceptual plans have received approval from the market’s board of directors, how the roads are tied off will affect final designs, James Beard Public Market Executive Director Fred Granum said.

鈥淚 want to underscore the 鈥榩reliminary’ aspect of the plans,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nternal conversations are still being had.鈥�

The market group is speaking with business stakeholders before approaching government officials about the potential traffic changes. Central Eastside Industrial District business interests have expressed concerns over potential impacts on freight mobility 鈥� specifically, the stopping or slowing of trucks bound for Interstate 5.

Calls made to the Central Eastside Industrial Council were not returned by press time.

鈥淭here doesn’t seem to be much resistance to removing the south one,鈥� MMDC principal Dan Petrusich said. 鈥淭he north one has some trade-offs that have to be addressed 鈥� pedestrian safety vs speed of access onto Naito. You’re going to give up one for the other 鈥� it’s just a fact. And how that’s executed in design remains to be seen.鈥�

First conceived in 2000, the James Beard Public Market passed a major milestone in December, when four Multnomah County-owned blocks were purchased for use in the project. As now envisioned, the public-private food market would consist of two 2-story halls joined under the Morrison Bridge’s west end by a walkable plaza. The indoor-outdoor market would feature restaurants, event space and more than 50 permanent vendors and 40 day-use tables.

MMDC also plans an 18-story mixed-use tower on one of the parcels.

Harbor Drive (or U.S. Route 99W) once was the city’s main freeway, but was removed in 1974 to make way for Tom McCall Waterfront Park. It was the rare example of a city replacing a limited-access road with a park, according to Ethan Seltzer, professor of urban studies at Portland State University.

鈥淭hat was a pretty unusual move,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was one of the things that marked a renaissance of community action and grassroots politics in Portland, and a kind of change in direction from a more-typical frame of mind of that era, to one that I think we’d recognize today.鈥�

Several elements of the old Harbor Drive traffic-moving apparatus survive today, including the ramps on and off of the Steel Bridge at Waterfront Park. One 鈥渇ugitive鈥� ramp, Seltzer says, exists at the Hawthorne Bridge’s west end, behind Veritable Quandary, but is now closed off to traffic.

The Morrison Bridge’s north off-ramp, now being considered for realignment, is the last high-speed one remaining from the Harbor Drive days. The speed limit there is 35 mph.

鈥淲e’re planning on attracting a million or so folks a year to this market once it’s up and operating,鈥� Granum said. 鈥淭o do that, you’ve got to have safe access. Right now there’s no safe access. Something’s got to change, or we’ve got the wrong site.鈥�