Spanning 13 months from March 1998 to April 1999, the Hawthorne Bridge Painting and Deck Replacement Project was one of the longest and most comprehensive overhauls for the historic Hawthorne Bridge. The members of the Hawthorne Bridge Project Office would like to thank all the members of the public for their patience and understanding during the 13 month closure for construction. It took the cooperation of countless individuals and organizations to work through the various challenges that this project had to offer. The work progressed smoothly throughout most of the year. Multnomah County would like to thank the contractor, Abhe & Svoboda, Inc., and its subcontractors for their outstanding performance, as well as David Evans and Associates for their support during the design and construction phases.
The scope of the project included the complete repainting of the structure, replacement of the steel decking, widening of the sidewalks, addition of handicap ramps and sidewalks on the West Approach, extension of the pier caps and tower braces, construction of maintenance platforms, replacement of the counterweight and operating cables and drums, strengthening of panel point connections under the bridge, replacement of windows and siding on the Machinery House and Operator's House and upgrades to the electrical systems, traffic gates, signals and bridge controls.
The total cost for this project was approximately $21.8 million. This figure includes the work performed by the contractor, Abhe & Svoboda, Inc., as well as the design, engineering and contingency costs associated with managing the project.
The Hawthorne Bridge Painting and Deck Replacement project received several awards for its design excellence, use of partnering during design and for the Reopening Day celebration. The project also appeared in many newspaper and local magazine articles before, during and after construction.