8 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
October 2011
Governing partners prepare Sellwood Bridge funding priorities
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
Participating governments last
month began zeroing in on a budget
for a new Sellwood Bridge – as they
would like it to be, and as it may
have to be if they run short of funds.
As part of this venture, the proj-
ect’s Citizen Advisory Committee
adopted a list of design features
they would like to see added.
These include belvederes (tow-
ers that both add architectural
character and stopping places for
bicyclists and pedestrians) benches,
pavement treatment to designate
bike and pedestrian paths , fencing,
A photo simulation of a deck arch Sellwood Bridge replacement. (Photo courtesy of Multnomah County)
structural lighting, and a Gateway
Feature and artwork.
The total for all these comes to
$3.85 million. This in turn brings
the existing funding shortfall for
the $269 million project as a whole
to $22.7 million.
Project manager Ian Cannon told
the Project Stakeholders Committee
(composed of representatives of the
participating jurisdictions) that the
best chance to gain the money is
to secure a federal Transportation
Investment Generating Economic
Recovery (TIGER) grant.
Failing this, Cannon said, the
project team is working on a list of
“downsized and deferred” items.
Deferred items could be added
later, but “downsized” ones would
alter the bridge structure and, in
all probability, would never be
restored. None of the cuts would
interfere with the project going
forward as scheduled, Cannon said.
Virtually all of the proposed cost
reduction measures presented
called for alterations in the west end
or approaches to the bridge. Even
if they were all adopted, Cannon
said, transportation would oper-
ate “somewhat better” than it does
today.
In answer to a question from
Mayor Sam Adams, Cannon said
that cuts of $8 million or less could
be made in such a way as to allow
their restoration later. Above $8
million, Cannon said, “The interim
plan becomes the plan.”
In discussions with the CAC,
Cannon noted that the completed
new span would be 2,000 feet long.
Thus, he said, the stopping-off place
the belvederes provide is not only
an amenity for sightseers, but also a
necessity for the elderly and infirm.
Bicycle and pedestrian advocates
have argued that for the bridge to
operate properly, bike and pedestri-
an paths need to be clearly marked
and differentiated. The CAC agreed
on the need for a fence, but said it
shouldn’t be “penitentiary-like” in
character.
The Multnomah County Com-
mission is scheduled to vote on the
proposal on October 6.
Alan Lehto, who represented Tri-
Met at the PSC meeting, said, “We
definitely support this. It makes
sense to move forward and look
at whatever resources we can find
to not have this become a leftover
project.”
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