On Tuesday, April 25 contractors met with the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge (EQRB) team to learn about prospective work opportunities during construction of the bridge. Preparing the contracting community and workforce pipeline to build the new Burnside Bridge is critical to the success of EQRB. The project will create thousands of jobs in Oregon between 2023 and 2030. Right now, there will be no immediately usable bridges in downtown Portland after a major earthquake. Multnomah County is leading an effort to replace the current Burnside Bridge with one that can withstand a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake. It’s one of the largest earthquake resilience projects in Oregon.
To kick off its work with the contracting community, Multnomah County held a meet-and-greet at the Oregon Convention Center to give contractors an overview of the project and an opportunity to meet the project team. Contractors were also able to learn about required certifications, as well as workforce equity goals for the project.
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal delivered opening remarks at the event touching on the importance of employing a diverse construction workforce and how crucial the project is overall for the region.
“It will provide a critical lifeline route for first responders to get to those who need help after a major earthquake,” Commissioner Jayapal said. “It will be our beacon for safety, emergency response and recovery. It will also be the bridge we see at the heart of Portland, serving our broader community, for the next 100 years.”
Construction Project Manager Emily Miletich followed the commissioner, giving an overview of the project and contracting requirements. Purchasing Manager Brian Smith then provided a summary of social equity goals for the project and the EQRB team answered questions from attendees.
See the presentation:
- Document