September 15, 2020

The Community Task Force for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project will hold a virtual online meeting on Monday, September 21 from 6 - 8 pm to review public input and confirm a recommended preferred alternative and traffic management option during construction.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the meeting is being held online and will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/BurnsideCTF17. The public can submit comments to be shared at the meeting. To submit a comment, email it to burnsidebridge@multco.us by noon on September 21. A recording of the meeting will be posted to the project website Library the week after the meeting. Meeting materials are available on the project website.

The Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project is studying a no-build (or ‘do nothing’) alternative and four build alternatives that would create a resilient lifeline crossing over the Willamette River in the event of a major earthquake. The task force has met 16 times to provide input on the environmental review. In June, the task force recommended that a new Long Span bridge with a movable lift span be built and that no detour bridge be built for temporary use during construction.

Meeting agenda items include:

  • Public comment
  • Review public feedback regarding the task force’s two recommendations. More than 6,000 people provided input in August through an online survey.
  • Confirm or modify the recommendations, which will be forwarded to the project’s Policy Group members who will vote at their October 2 meeting.
  • Kickoff the project’s Bridge Type Selection Phase with the goal of recommending a structure type for the new bridge by early summer 2021.

In June, task force members cited these reasons for recommending the Long Span alternative:

  • Best for seismic resilience because it has the fewest columns in unstable soils
  • Lowest cost (at an estimated $825 million)
  • Enhances or preserves community spaces under the bridge
  • Least impacts to natural resources
  • Safer for bicyclists and pedestrians

Task force members represent residential areas, business districts, and interests including auto commuters, transit users, freight, pedestrians, bicyclists, river users, bridge history, social service agencies, and other organizations based near the bridge.

Multnomah County maintains the Burnside Bridge and leads the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project. For more information or to sign up for email notifications, visit www.burnsidebridge.org.