Port of Portland operations manager Shannon Curran said the corkscrew had become a much-loved landmark in Portland since it was gifted by contractors to the port authority at the completion of the port in the early 1960s.

“The original Corkscrew had a design life of less than 25 years” he said. “Port of Portland had been working for over two years on options to repair the existing structure, unfortunately it has deteriorated to a point that it is impossible to repair.

“We have worked closely with engineering advisers to design a replacement structure.”

The new corkscrew is designed to meet modern safety and construction standards and will be more practical to maintain.

The demolition of the corkscrew is expected to take two days.

A community open day is planned once the new corkscrew is in place.