September 13, 2024
Final Bridge Type for East Approach of Burnside Bridge Selected
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously elected to proceed with the inverted Y design option for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge, moving the project one step closer to construction. The new bridge will have the largest bike and pedestrian space of all the bridges in downtown Portland, increasing options for the already famously bicycle friendly city.
To help get here, Burnside Bridge Partners, a Joint Venture with Stacy Witbeck, Traylor Bros, and American Bridge Co., provided green sheet pricing, rough schedule impacts, and constructability feedback on the 6 bridge types being considered. Part of this was to help inform the County about the cost, time, and risks each design type imposed.
The selected design is a triangular-shaped cable stay tower extending to a single column. The design will be on the east side of the bridge, providing a striking visual landmark to people coming in and out of downtown Portland. As part of the selection process, the team worked closely with the local community and provided a public input period. Multiple community events were held to help educate the public about the different design options, including "A Night Out with the Burnside Bridge Team" at OMSI and "Breakfast on the Bridge."
All images courtesy of Multnomah County.