Making the Sellwood Bridge work for bikes is a top priority for our region (in fact, it made the “Top 10 List” on our Blueprint for Better Biking report published last fall). Here’s a report from BTA member-volunteer Richard Marantz, who is representing the BTA on the Sellwood Bridge task force:
The Good: The public planning process for a new bridge has started, and it is wide open for input from cyclists.
The Bad: The planning, design and build schedules put major improvements at least five years away.
The Ugly: The existing conditions on the bridge for cyclists.
Multnomah County, the owner of the Sellwood bridge, has begun the planning phase for the rehabilitation or replacement of the Sellwood Bridge. This is a major project, with cost estimates running from $50 million for a rehabilitation up to $140 million for a new bridge. The planning process which is set up to consider all options, select a preferred alternative, and secure Federal Highway Administration approval is scheduled to run through mid 2008. This will be followed by a detailed design process (2008-2010) and finally, construction (2010-2014).
As part of the planning process Multnomah County has appointed a Community Task Force with representatives from the various user, business, and neighborhood groups to help arrive at solutions acceptable to the entire community and to serve as a link between their constituencies and the County. I was appointed to the committee as a representative of the cycling community and I want to begin making reports to you and taking feedback from you. It is my goal that the new crossing will be something we can all feel safe and enthusiastic about riding and has good connections to the trails and streets on both the east and west sides of the bridge.
There is a lot of ground to be covered in the search for a “preferred alternative”. CH2M Hill has the overall contract with the County for the initial planning phase and Alta Planning is working on the bicycle/pedestrian design options. There are several groups from Multnomah County working on the project. There is consideration of building a new bridge or renovating the old one. There are various alignments, linkages and cross section options under discussion. From what I have observed of the process so far, the existing conditons for bicycles on the bridge are recognized as woefully inadequate by all parties and there will be something much better in the future.
There will be upcoming public meetings and there is plenty of time and opportunity for everyone to comment. Multnomah County has a new website for the Sellwood Bridge project coming on line September 8th at www.sellwoodbridge.org. There will be links to all the key documents, and opportunities to send ideas and comments to the planning team.
I am also available to anyone who wants to contact me with ideas or concerns, and I can be reached at rmarantz@bta4bikes.org. or at 503-246-7185.
Ride On,
Richard “both under and over the Sellwood bridge” Marantz
My response is a bridge should be built over the existing one leaving it in tack. This way the old bridge could be used for multi-purpose; biking, walking, runing observation of fireworks, saturday market place which would draw income, art fairs , lease it out for parties and this can all be done year round being that it would be covered. The new bridge could be built by adding on to the existing bridge concrete columns and build pillars on each side of the existing bridge. This could be done while the existing bridge is being used and only close down when it is time to connect both ends. It would remind me of something they would do in Italy.