Frequently Asked Questions: EQRB

What have we done so far?

In 2015, the County completed a 20-year Capital Improvement Plan for its Willamette River Bridges. The plan identified having a Burnside Street river crossing that can withstand a major earthquake as a high priority.

In 2018, the County completed a feasibility study for an earthquake-ready Burnside crossing. The project team looked at more than 100 river crossing alternatives on the Burnside lifeline route. With the help of community members and technical experts, the team narrowed these down to four alternatives for further study in the Environmental Review Phase.

In fall 2020, after gathering community input, the project’s Community Task Force and Policy Group recommended the Replacement Long Span as the Preferred Alternative.

On February 5th, 2021, the project published its Draft Environmental Impact Statement documenting the findings of the environmental review. A 45-day public comment was open through March 24th, 2021.

In spring 2021, additional engineering and cost estimating work raised concerns among County leaders about the project’s cost. Recognizing rising costs due to current economic conditions, failure of the Regional Transportation Bond Measure and competition for funds from other large projects in the region, County leaders asked the project team to analyze ways to reduce the cost so the project is more likely to be funded and built. After further cost analysis, environmental and permitting analysis and input from stakeholders, the project team identified three key cost-saving refinements to the Preferred Alternative. These refinements were endorsed by the project’s Community Task Force and Policy Group and later approved by the County Board of Commissioners in early 2022.

On April 29, 2022, a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement documenting the refinements to the Preferred Alternative was published for public review followed by a 45-day public comment period.

In fall 2023, the project team kicked off the Design Phase. In this phase, the project team will evaluate bridge form, architectural and aesthetic features, mechanical and structural engineering, constructability as well as cost and long-term maintenance needs. This phase also involved a major public outreach period where the project asked for feedback on the future look of the new Burnside Bridge. 

The Design Phase and Environmental Review Phase overlapped briefly through January 2024. That month the project published its Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration, marking the conclusion of the Environmental Review Phase.

In October 2025, the County announced the project will complete 60% design by summer 2026 but due to ongoing federal funding uncertainty, the County would push out the start of construction. A new construction date has not yet been determined.

Were there opportunities for the public to weigh in on the design of the bridge?

Yes. In summer 2024, the project launched an online survey, which asked for community input on the future look of the new Burnside Bridge. The County received nearly 20,000 survey responses.   

After the survey closed, the project team presented an overview of the public survey data to the project’s Community Design Advisory Group. The group also heard the project architect’s bridge type preference. After three meetings throughout the month of August 2024, the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project’s Community Design Advisory Group voted to recommend the inverted Y cable stay bridge type at its Aug. 15 meeting. This group met regularly to review and provide feedback on design aesthetics to the project team. The group’s meetings were open to the public, live streamed and recorded. The group’s last meeting was November 20, 2025. To learn more, visit the CDAG web page.

This recommendation was shared with the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on September 3, who took the group’s recommendation and public input into account. 

At its board meeting Thursday, Sept. 12, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution to move forward with the inverted Y design option for the future look of the new Burnside Bridge.

Why is this project important?

Oregon is located in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which puts us at risk of a major earthquake that will cause widespread damage to buildings, utilities, roads, bridges and the community. Experts say there is a 1 in 3 chance of a magnitude 8+ earthquake occurring within the next 50 years in our region. Portland’s aging downtown bridges are not expected to withstand a major earthquake. It could be weeks before any downtown bridge is usable after the earthquake. That’s why Multnomah County is taking the lead on making at least one downtown crossing earthquake ready.

How will the project be funded?

The County has been successful in securing multiple sources of funding to raise $1.6 – 1.8 billion for the project. As of November 2025, there is an estimated $740 million in available project financing. 

In August 2022, EQRB received a federal $5 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Planning Grant. This marked the project’s first successful federal funding award. This was shortly followed by a $2 million congressional appropriation grant.

In summer 2023, the Oregon Legislature directed $20 million in state funding to the project through House Bill 5030. In July 2025, the project received $10 million in funding through Oregon Metro’s Regional Flexible Funding Allocation. 

The County is actively pursuing various grants and other funding opportunities at the local, state and federal levels to fully fund the project, including grants from the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

How much will the project cost?

 In 2025, the project budget was refined to a range of $1.6 – 1.8 billion. This includes all project phases from design through construction. The cost also includes a 30% contingency for risk and design development, 3.75% escalation to midpoint of construction and incorporates value engineering results. As of July 2025, there is an estimated $740 in available project financing. The budget, which increased from the 2022 estimate, is influenced by a number of factors:

• Rising material costs (Steel +20%, Concrete +40%, since 2022)
• Regional competition in the labor market
• Increase in demand for construction projects
• Market uncertainty
• Changes to the construction timeline due to federal funding uncertainty
• Scope growth due to further design development (e.g. utility impacts)

How will traffic be managed during construction?

In order to reduce the overall construction time by up to two years and save $90 million, the recommended traffic management approach is to fully close the bridge during construction and detour traffic to other bridges. The project team is considering different options for minimizing traffic impacts to the traveling public during construction. 

Building a temporary bridge to maintain some level of traffic during construction was also considered. However, it was not recommended due to its high cost of $90 million, added construction time of up to two years and added impacts to natural resources.

Why Burnside?

Located in the heart of downtown, the Burnside Bridge is situated on a regionally established lifeline route across the Willamette River. After an earthquake or other disaster, a lifeline route allows first responders to get to where they’re needed and help distribute emergency supplies. In the event of a major earthquake, we will depend on the Burnside Bridge as the main emergency lifeline route across the Willamette River, connecting the city from east to west. A resilient Burnside Bridge will help our community recover after a major earthquake and provide a long-term river crossing that supports our transportation needs for the next century.

An earthquake-ready Burnside Bridge will:

• Provide an earthquake-ready Willamette River crossing
• Support post-earthquake emergency response
• Help the community and economy recover after a major earthquake
• Ensure long-term, multi-modal travel across the Willamette River
• Support our Regional Emergency Transportation Routes and seismic resiliency needs as stated in plans and policies

What is the Burnside lifeline route?

Metro designated Burnside Street, including the Burnside Bridge, as an emergency lifeline route in 1996. Stretching from Washington County to Gresham, the Burnside Street lifeline route has less risk of overpasses or structures collapsing along it during a large earthquake than other major roads, like I-84, I-5 and I-405. The Burnside lifeline needs an earthquake-ready river crossing to help reconnect friends and families; maintain access to fire stations, hospitals and other emergency services; and enable food, water, medical supplies and other necessities to be delivered where they are needed. It will be instrumental in helping our region recover.

Why not make all downtown bridges earthquake ready?

It’s too expensive to upgrade all the bridges at the same time. The 2015 Willamette River Bridge Capital Improvement Plan assessment estimated the cost of making all of the County’s four downtown movable bridges earthquake resilient at between $2-3 billion. This cost does not consider improvements to ODOT’s Marquam and Fremont bridges that will be closed by a major earthquake. ODOT estimates it would take about four weeks after a major earthquake for emergency vehicles to access the Marquam Bridge, while the Fremont Bridge would not be usable after a major quake.

What kinds of river crossing alternatives were considered during the Feasibility Study?

Over 100 options were studied during this project’s Feasibility Study phase, including tunnels, ferries, stacked bridges, couplet bridges, fixed bridges, floating bridges and other options. For more details about what was studied, check out the feasibility report:

• Document

  EQRB Feasibility Report, December 2018: (7.87 MB)

Why is the Enhanced Seismic Retrofit not the Preferred Alternative?

Yes, the project team considered and studied an Enhanced Seismic Retrofit option during the Environmental Review Phase. However, it was not selected as the Preferred Alternative. The existing Burnside Bridge was built in 1926 before information about earthquakes was more readily available and understood. At that time, the Burnside Bridge was built with lightly reinforced rebar and supported on shallow timber piles embedded into quicksand-like soils. Given the age, location and materials of the Burnside Bridge, seismically retrofitting the bridge to withstand the size and magnitude of a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, and be immediately usable following such an event, made this alternative more challenging than the replacement alternatives and greatly compromises the historic nature of the existing bridge.

Learn more about the reasons why the Enhanced Seismic Retrofit Alternative was not recommended as the Preferred Alternative here:

• Document

  Why the Enhanced Seismic Retrofit Alternative is not the Preferred Alternative (432.42 KB)

Why should we prepare now?

Oregon is subject to some of the world’s most powerful, recurring earthquakes. The last major quake in Oregon occurred 320 years ago, a timespan that exceeds 75% of the intervals between the major quakes to hit Oregon over the last 10,000 years. There is a significant risk that the next event will occur soon.

What is the danger for Portland from a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake centered off the coast?

The United States Geological Survey has produced information about the distribution and severity of shaking from past subduction zone earthquakes around the world. That information shows that the Portland region will experience shaking levels strong enough and long enough to cause severe and widespread damage. A Cascadian Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake could cause strong shaking in Portland for four minutes. The next major CSZ earthquake is expected to devastate buildings, utilities, and transportation facilities.

• Document

  Comparison of earthquake zones in Japan, Chile and the Pacific Northwest (810.32 KB)

Who made the decision on the final outcomes of the study?

Multnomah County is the lead agency for this project and makes all final decisions on the project. However, numerous agencies, stakeholders, community groups, subject-matter experts and regulatory bodies provided input throughout the design process to help the project team make key decisions. A Community Design Advisory Group, representing a range of community interests, made recommendations to the project team on the bridge type/form and certain aesthetic features. The group’s recommendations, via the project team, were taken to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.

How can I be involved?

This website is the best way to stay informed and learn about opportunities to get involved. You can also sign up to receive project updates.

What can I do to be more prepared for a major earthquake event?

Experts say the best way to start is to develop an emergency plan for your family, friends and neighbors. Having a plan will improve the likelihood your family can communicate and reunite after a disaster. There are simple plans and tips to create an emergency kit at Ready.gov/kit.

How does this fit into other regional emergency plans?

The central location of the Burnside lifeline route and connections to other emergency routes means that an Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge is central to the region’s ability to recover from a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. The Burnside Bridge is the only non-state owned Priority 1 Emergency Route across the Willamette River. ODOT is prioritizing the I-205 corridor as a statewide emergency lifeline route. Emergency managers are focused on helping our region prepare for an earthquake and other types of disasters. Learn more about our region’s emergency plans at rdpo.net.