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Additional Information

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How did we get here?

From 2019 to 2023, the Environmental Review Phase defined the purpose and need of the project, screened a range of alternatives against a set of evaluation criteria and recommended one alternative to advance into the Design Phase. This evaluation process is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a federal law enacted in 1970 to ensure that key decisions about transportation projects consider impacts to people, places and the environment.

The County considered results of the Environmental Review, input from the community, including a Community Task Force and Policy Group, as well as requirements from regulatory agencies. The County then selected the replacement long span bridge as the Preferred Alternative to move forward to the Design Phase because it had lower impacts on the environment, best seismic resiliency and lowest cost. The alternative specified that the new bridge would have a girder span on the west approach (similar to the west approach of the current Burnside Bridge), a bascule movable span over the middle of the river (same type as the current Burnside Bridge) and either a tied arch or cable stay long span on the east approach.

Where is the project now?

The Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project is now in the Design Phase. In this phase the project team will start to evaluate bridge form, architectural and aesthetic features, mechanical and structural engineering, constructability as well as cost and long-term maintenance needs. The project team will work closely with engineers, architects, contractors, agencies, regulatory bodies and the community during this phase. This work will result in a final bridge design that will move into construction.

There are two bridge types the County is considering: a cable stay and tied arch. The County is now asking for community input on design concepts for the east span of the new Burnside Bridge. This is the community’s bridge. The County wants the future look of the bridge to be something the community is proud of and reflects the community’s values.

Why are we replacing the Burnside Bridge?

Right now, none of downtown Portland’s Willamette River vehicular bridges will be immediately usable 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.

The Burnside Bridge is located on a regionally established lifeline route and it's critical that the bridge is still standing after a major earthquake. A new Burnside Bridge will provide a critical lifeline route for first responders to get to those who need help after a major earthquake. It will be our beacon for safety, emergency response and recovery. It will also provide safer, more accessible multimodal transportation facilities in the heart of Portland, serving our community for the next 100 years.

How will the final bridge design decision be made?

The County will evaluate the results from the project’s online summer survey. That data will then be shared with the project’s Community Design Advisory Group (CDAG). This group started meeting in late 2023 and will continue through early 2025. The committee of 21 community members represents a wide range of interests and backgrounds and will make recommendations to the project team on the aesthetic features of the new bridge.

The CDAG will review the community’s feedback from the survey, while using its Guiding Principles as a framework throughout its review process. The committee will then recommend a preferred concept to the project team. The project team will present that recommendation and the public survey results to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. The Board will consider all of that information before making a final decision on the east approach bridge type in fall 2024.

Guiding Principles

The Community Design Advisory Group (CDAG) agreed on a set of guiding principles to help the committee make recommendations about the bridge design and aesthetic features. The guiding principles, divided into three broad categories described below, capture community interests and aspirations as they relate to building a new bridge in downtown Portland.

Urban/Site Context and User Experience

When considering the two bridge design concepts, it is important to consider how the new bridge will fit into the cityscape of Central Portland. The CDAG and project team want to understand how people feel each bridge form best fits into the current context of downtown and the Central Eastside. Given that bridges are different structures than buildings, how does the scale and form of the bridge respond to the scale and character of surrounding neighborhoods, buildings, parks and historic districts?

The Burnside Bridge is at the geographic center of the city. The bridge will look and feel different for those traveling over it, under it via the river, approaching it from I-5, I-84 or arterial streets and those walking or biking near it along S.W. Naito Parkway, Tom McCall Waterfront Park or Eastbank Esplanade. How will the new bridge provide public benefit? How will the new bridge respond to the user experience of public spaces, transportation, parks and natural environments under or adjacent to the bridge?

Visual Character and Aesthetics

The look of the new bridge will need to not only consider the experience of those using the bridge, but also the overall form and flow of the new bridge along the urban landscape. The bridge will have three unique parts – the westside approach, the movable span and the east approach. All three must work together to create a holistic bridge. How does the composition of the bridge achieve balance and flow, given its unique three-part structural span requirements?

Cost and Construction Impacts

A project of this magnitude must consider not only the cost of building the new bridge, but also the long-term costs of maintenance and operation. Construction cost estimates take into account constructability, material availability, right-of-way easements, utility relocation, permitting and environmental mitigations. Impacts on all user groups and surrounding communities during bridge construction are also important. How does the new bridge minimize construction and maintenance costs, minimize impacts and support an efficient construction timeline?

Note: The County has already performed an initial cost, constructability and risk assessment on a wide range of bridge design concept variations. The ones presented in this online open house met the County’s guidelines. This online open house focuses on gathering input from the community on the first two Guiding Principles: Urban/Site Context and User Experience and Visual Character and Aesthetics.

Will there be other opportunities to provide input on the future look of the bridge?

Yes. Following the final east span bridge design concept selection, the project team will start assessing more detailed design elements including railings, lighting, cable or arch member contours and more. The County will go back to the public in early 2025 to ask for input on these components of the bridge.

How long will construction of the bridge last?

The project initiated the Design Phase in fall 2023. It will last the next three years. The project is targeting 2026 for early construction activities. Early construction activities would include bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements on detour routes during the closure of the bridge. The exact timeframe is still being determined based on development of the final scope of road improvements. Demolition of the current Burnside Bridge and construction of the new bridge is expected to start as early as 2027, pending funding. That would mark the start of the 5-year bridge closure. The new Burnside Bridge is expected to open as early as 2031.

How will the space on the bridge be shared between vehicles, pedestrians and bikes?

On the new Burnside Bridge there will be two vehicular lanes in both directions (east and west), with one eastbound lane dedicated to buses. There will be 17-foot wide barrier protected bike and pedestrian paths on either side of the bridge as well. At 17 feet, the new Burnside Bridge will have the largest bike and pedestrian space of all downtown Portland bridges. The paths will have crash-worthy barriers separating vehicles from people walking, biking and rolling. Our future climate goals urge us to use our transportation system differently. By reducing vehicular lanes, from five to four, and increasing multi-modal space, the County is designing a bridge to help meet County and City climate goals and increase efficiency for multi-modal usage, while remaining within budget.

How is the bridge being paid for?

The County has been successful in securing multiple sources of funding. To date, the County and local partners have committed to funding $300 million, through the County’s vehicle registration fee. In August 2022, the project received a federal $5 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Planning Grant. In 2023, the project received $2 million in Congressionally directed funds and in summer 2023, the Oregon Legislature directed $20 million in state funding to the project through House Bill 5030.

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.

Stay Involved

Multnomah County values the community’s input throughout this project. The community is encouraged to follow the progress of the project and weigh in at key milestones. This input period is one of two key decision milestones in the Design Phase. Sign up for project email updates such as the launch of the 2025 outreach!