PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County has plans to build the first seismically resilient bridge near the heart of downtown Portland in place of the current Burnside Bridge. The county is seeking the public's input on two potential bridge design options.
Experts say Portland is due for a huge Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in the next 50 years — widely known as "The Big One" — and most of Portland's current Willamette River bridges were built long before the region's earthquake risks were understood. They aren't expected to withstand the shaking.
The Design Phase Program Manager behind the replacement project, Megan Neill, said the county has narrowed things down to two overall structures for the bridge's eastern end, with three options per type: A "tied arch" structure like the Fremont Bridge or a "cable stayed" structure that would resembles the Tilikum Crossing bridge.
"So, we really want to build a bridge that the community can be proud of," said Neill. "That's why we really are looking for the public to weigh in on what this bridge looks like."
KGW went around downtown Portland asking people their preference on the two potential bridge designs.
One person told KGW they would most likely go with the cable stay type, and when asked why, they said it was more aesthetically pleasing.
"I'm not a bridge guy, but I would say the top one maybe looks more modern." said the bystander to KGW. "Which I'm sure would help Portland a little bit."
Both designs would have two traffic lanes in each direction, with a 17-foot-wide bike and pedestrian path on each bridge side. And the cost for this project runs about $895 million.
Megan Neill said the bridge would need to be closed for five years for construction.
"So right now, we are anticipating closing the bridge in 2027 for five years. We will be starting construction in 2026 by making some upgrades on the detour routes that we expect bicyclists and pedestrians to use."
If all goes well, Neil said the bridge should be complete by the end of 2031.
Anyone interested in providing feedback or learn more regarding the two bridge design options can do so at this link.
