Editor’s note: moved this post as it is outdated.
the buzz from Multnomah County: The Burnside Bridge will be closed to road and sidewalk traffic from 8:00 pm on Friday, January 20 until as late as 6:00 am on Monday, January 23 to allow a contractor to set up traffic control and a work zone for a two-year construction project that begins this month.
When the bridge reopens there will be a single lane of traffic in each direction and a path for pedestrians and bicyclists on each side of the bridge over the next two years. Several traffic lanes will be closed so that the contractor can begin to replace the worn concrete deck on the lift span. The $9 million project will also repair or replace parts that allow the 79-year-old bridge to open. Both repairs are critical to the drawbridge’s operation. Replacing the Burnside Bridge would cost approximately $170 million.
Why not just replace the Burnside Bridge? In the long-run won’t this just save money?