{"id":61662,"date":"2025-08-06T03:19:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T03:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/61662\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T03:19:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T03:19:09","slug":"downtown-portland-is-10m-closer-to-its-only-earthquake-ready-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/61662\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Portland is $10M closer to its only earthquake-ready bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multnomah County is $10 million closer to funding downtown Portland\u2019s only earthquake-proof<\/a> bridge<\/a> over the Willamette River. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a small dent in the estimated $895 million price tag to rebuild the Burnside Bridge, but county Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement Tuesday that \u201cevery dollar counts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMultnomah County\u2019s Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project is more than a bridge \u2013 it\u2019s an investment in the infrastructure our region will require to recover from the devastation we anticipate in the wake of a Cascadia-level earthquake,\u201d Vega Pederson said. <\/p>\n

The county will get the money from the Metro regional government, which pulled the $10 million from a pot of federal funds it doles out every two to three years. The allocation comes as the county grapples with uncertainty in its own federal funding, which has already delayed<\/a> the construction of the bridge until at least 2028. The county is seeking a $447 million grant from the United States Department of Transportation to help fund the bridge construction. <\/p>\n

Officials have secured around $300 million for the project so far. The county is working with businesses and property owners in the area to arrange temporary or permanent relocation due to the construction. <\/p>\n

\"BurnsideRendering of the “inverted-Y” design proposed for the new Burnside Bridge.Courtesy of Multnomah County<\/p>\n

The Board of Commissioners approved an \u201cinverted-Y,\u201d cable-stay design for the bridge in September, featuring a single tower supported by two angular legs. The proposed bridge will have two lanes in both directions and an eastbound bus-only lane, as well as wide bike and pedestrian paths on each side. Officials would close the bridge for around five years during construction. <\/p>\n

The new bridge would serve as a lifeline in the event of the \u201cbig one,\u201d a 9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone that scientists say could strike at any time. None of downtown Portland\u2019s Willamette River vehicular bridges would be immediately usable if an earthquake of that magnitude hit, officials have warned. <\/p>\n

Some of the city\u2019s other bridges could survive. The Sellwood Bridge south of downtown was built to be seismically resilient, but the area is at risk for landslides that could close it off, county documents show. Most of the Tilikum Crossing Bridge was also built to a similar earthquake standard, but that bridge is not designed for vehicles and the approaches of the bridge were built to a lower standard. <\/p>\n

\u2014 Austin De Dios covers county politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, adedios@oregonian.com or @AustinDeDios.<\/p>\n

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