November 4, 2020

The Community Task Force for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project will hold a virtual online meeting on Monday, November 9 from 6 - 8 pm focused on bridge types for the new bridge.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the meeting is being held online and will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/BurnsideCTF19. The public can submit comments to be shared at the meeting. To submit a comment, email it to burnsidebridge@multco.us by noon on November 9. 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 alternatives that would create a resilient lifeline crossing over the Willamette River in the event of a major earthquake. The task force has 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. Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners approved the Long Span as the Preferred Alternative on October 29. The Task Force is now studying issues related to the bridge type recommendation. The Task Force is scheduled to recommend a bridge type in early summer 2021.

Meeting agenda items include:

  • Public comment
  • Project update, including updates from project work groups focused on urban design, seismic design and historic/cultural resources
  • An overview of bridge structure types and tradeoffs
  • Explore criteria themes and topics that reflect community interests (related to bridge type)

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.