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New Sellwood Bridge | Completed

Some Sellwood Bridge replacement choices...
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/img/re...es_700x662.jpg

Sellwood Bridge

I like Cable-Stayed and Delta-Frame a LOT.

I like the cable stayed a lot as well. Thats one type of bridge portland doesn't have yet that i'd like to see. But, since this is portland and good design rarely wins out we'll probably end up with the box girder.

In addition to the Cable-Stayed, I like the Through Arch.

pdxman, it's Sellwood. They'll demand the through arch, even if every other bridge option is cheaper and dropped money on them as they crossed it.

The nice thing about the through arch is that you don't have pillars in the middle of the river like with all the other designs.

definitely cable stayed or through arch

Deck do look good, I agree with others.

I dont like the cable stay mostly because it seems like every new bridge that is being built is one of those...other than that, I have nothing against it being a cable stay...which is what will probably be chosen.

The costs of each option get larger from top to bottom, so from a cost-benefit point of view, the Delta Frame would be my choice. If cost wasn't a factor (lol), of course I'd prefer the Cable-Stayed. The Through Arch looks too similar to the OC-West Linn Bridge and the Fremont Bridge.

I like the Delta Frame the most... keeps in tune with the original design and keeps the sight lines up top open.

Article from the Oregonian today...

Quote:

Multnomah County commissioner pushes to close Sellwood Bridge
Engineers say the aging span across the Willamette River is still safe
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
ARTHUR GREGG SULZBERGER
The Oregonian

Frustrated that money for the Sellwood Bridge remains nowhere in sight, Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey is calling to close the decrepit span.

The county is in the midst of a two-year, $5 million review to decide whether to repair or replace the bridge, but hasn't found the money to pay for a project expected to cost as much as $450 million.

The 83-year-old bridge, the busiest two-lane crossing in the state, is cracked and sagging with a 3-year-old weight limit that prohibits buses, firetrucks and other heavy vehicles.

Nevertheless, county, state and independent engineers who conduct regular checks of the bridge -- most recently this week -- continue to say it's safe to carry the estimated 30,000 cars that travel over it each day.

"We're staying on top of it," said Ian Cannon, the county's top bridge engineer.

Rojo de Steffey is taking issue with that assurance, saying the county is better off closing the bridge now if it can't get a 100 percent guarantee that the bridge won't fail.

"I'm ready now to close it," Rojo de Steffey said. "On my watch I don't want to be responsible if it goes down."

Commissioner Lonnie Roberts said he shared the concern and was leaning toward supporting closing the bridge.

"It's not going to get better," he said. "I don't want to close it unnecessarily, but there's no way to know when it's going to collapse. We need to take some leadership here."

County and state bridge experts were surprised by the sudden interest in closing the bridge without any new information suggesting it's no longer safe.

Bruce Johnson, the top bridge engineer with the Oregon Department of Transportation, had his staff accompany county engineers on an inspection Monday. He said the problems with the bridge are serious, but well-managed.

"I don't have any concerns about the safety of the bridge," he said.

County Chairman Ted Wheeler, who led an unsuccessful push to raise local money for a new bridge, said any decision to shut it down should rest with experts, not politicians.

"I believe the bridge is safe based on the information I'm getting from our engineers," he said. But he also noted: "If we ever got any information that the bridge is not safe, we would close it without hesitation."

It's unclear whether the county has the authority to unilaterally close the bridge or whether the city or the state also would have a say, said County Attorney Agnes Sowle, who is drafting a legal opinion on the subject.

A closure could create serious traffic problems, with an estimated 20,000 additional cars heading to the nearby Ross Island Bridge or other downtown crossings every day, said Mike Pullen, a county spokesman on bridge issues.

Though the Sellwood Bridge's deficiencies are well-known, it has come under increased scrutiny after the collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis last summer. Much of the discussion has centered on the Sellwood's low federal sufficiency rating -- just 2 out of 100 (as opposed to 50 out of 100 for the Minnesota bridge). But engineers say the number is designed to show eligibility for federal money, not just the safety of the bridge.

Nevertheless, Wheeler cited the figure repeatedly as he tried to get local communities to endorse his plan for increasing the amount county residents pay to register their cars to help raise the local share for a new bridge.

But he dropped the plan when three cities refused to support the fee increase. Now, Wheeler said he's trying to build support for a regional bridge authority that would include neighboring counties.

Rojo de Steffey criticized Wheeler for dropping the plan, saying he should have cut whatever deals necessary to get Gresham, Troutdale and Maywood Park to sign on because a regional plan will take too long.

Some officials privately dismissed Rojo de Steffey's move to shut down the Sellwood as a tactic to increase pressure on the cities as well as neighboring counties to help pay for a new bridge. But Rojo de Steffey said she's driven by genuine safety concerns.

She has said publicly that she's too scared to drive over the bridge herself, a comment that has carried particular weight because she's spearheaded the planning process for a new bridge and knows the bridge better than the other commissioners.

Commissioner Lisa Naito is leaning toward Rojo de Steffey's way of thinking.
"I'm fully prepared if we cannot guarantee the bridge is safe, to shut it down," Naito said at a board meeting last week. "We have no realistic plan to pay for a replacement bridge at this point, not even to repair this bridge. We have no legal obligation, statutory or otherwise, to continue operating this bridge."

Commissioner Jeff Cogen said the bridge should stay open until engineers say it's unsafe.

"What I support will not be based on hysteria; it will be based on the facts," he said. "I wouldn't close it just because people are afraid of it if the fear is not real."

Arthur Gregg Sulzberger: 503-221-8330; arthursulzberger@ news.oregonian.com

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...830.xml&coll=7

How can anyone possibly give a 100% guarantee that a bridge (or any other structure) won't fail?

I rode my scooter over the bridge a few weeks ago... probably the first time I had ever been over it.

Wow. That is one sketchy bridge! It would make an ideal pedestrian or bike bridge, but even on a scooter (25 mph) it felt way too small and rickety. The lane widths and lack of shoulder space or sidewalks in particular.

Quote:

How can anyone possibly give a 100% guarantee that a bridge (or any other structure) won't fail?

No kidding. All it would take is to tap it once with a barge...

Quote:

Controversy surrounds Sellwood Bridge replacement
At penultimate meeting of advisory group, residents claim they’ve been ‘held hostage’
POSTED: 04:00 AM PST Wednesday, January 7, 2009
BY TYLER GRAF

After two and a half years of meetings, studies and discussions, the Sellwood Bridge Advisory Group is gearing up to make its final recommendation about the replacement of the current bridge.

Members of the advisory group joined people from the community on Monday night for the penultimate meeting about the matter.

It proved to be a feisty affair.

County Commission Chair Ted Wheeler called the Sellwood Bridge “one of the biggest infrastructure projects being contemplated on the West Coast.”

But there’s still a vicious divide between stakeholders, who at the meeting continued to debate the merits of the two most popular bridge types: One, called option D, would be a replacement two-lane bridge that would widen at the south end. The other, called option E, would be a replacement four-lane bridge, relocated to the north with public transit lanes.

The most vocal feedback came from residents of the Sellwood Harbor condominiums. If the southern-based option D were built, then some residents would lose their homes.

Multnomah County estimates that four condominiums could be lost as a result of the bridge’s construction.

Many said they were being “held hostage” by the long decision process. These residents said they are unable to sell their homes and move, pending a final recommendation, even though some are old, infirm and require assisted care.

Support for bridge type D came from Bob Russell of the Oregon Trucking Association.
“(Bridge type E) basically replaces one two-lane bridge with another two-lane bridge,” he said.
Bridge type E would also include a roundabout, which would be difficult for freight trucks to navigate, he said.

Sellwood resident Bradley Heinz said he was concerned primarily by the possibility of increased traffic in the neighborhood and what that might mean for safety. He said bridge type D would be safer for residents.

A final recommendation will be made on Jan. 19. A meeting will be held at the OMSI Auditorium, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Once a recommendation is made, it will be taken to the bridge policy group, a collection of elected officials, for approval.

http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDeta...roup-residents

I know it’s an important project in the Portland area, but “one of the biggest infrastructure projects being contemplated on the West Coast”? Not sure about that.

Some drawings from the project website…
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/

Alternative D
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/Bridge...ternativeD.jpg

Alternative E
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/Bridge...ternativeE.jpg

Am I reading the above article correctly? It seems to contradict itself....The bold type states that Plan D would be a 2 lane bridge replacing a 2 lane bridge. Plan E would be a 4 lane bridge (including transit) replacing the 2 lane bridge. Then farther down in the article the options appear to be opposite. Am I blind or not understand something here?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForAteOh (Post 4011322)

I know it’s an important project in the Portland area, but “one of the biggest infrastructure projects being contemplated on the West Coast”? Not sure about that.

It's not even the biggest infrastructure project being contemplated in Portland, let alone the west coast. Hasn't Wheeler heard of the CRC? Or Milwaukie MAX?

And California is starting a $40 billion dollar High Speed Rail project. And Seattle is considering at least 2, maybe more, multi-billion dollar projects. And SF is..... oh never mind. Stick to facts, Wheeler, not hyperbole.

Task force OKs $300M Sellwood Bridge plan

Task force OKs $300M Sellwood Bridge plan

A community task force approved a $300 million plan Monday to replace the aging Sellwood Bridge.

The new bridge would require the demolition of four condos to the south of the existing bridge and one townhouse to the north.

The new bridge would be approximately 30 feet to the south of the existing bridge, which would remain open during construction.

The plan now needs approval by a group of elected and appointed leaders that includes representatives from the city of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro and TriMet.

That group will meet next Monday to review the task force recommendation. It is expected to approve the plan in a second meeting on Friday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. at the Multnomah County building.

If approved, the Federal Highway Administration would then need to sign off on the project, a process expected to take at least one year.

Construction could begin in 2012. The price tag is calculated in 2012 dollars.

Funding for the project remains unclear.

“Funding is the million dollar question,” said county spokesman Mike Pullen. “It’s probably not a project that will get money from the proposed federal stimulus package because it’s not a shovel-ready project.”

The community task force that made the recommendation includes a cross-section of business and community leaders.

The existing bridge is in need of major repairs or replacement. It has a rating of 2 out of a possible score of 100 from the National Bridge Inventory. To put that in perspective, the Minnesota bridge that collapsed in 2007 had a rating of 50.

http://portland.bizjournals.com/port...9/daily21.html

I find it incredible that the Sellwood Bridge could cost 1/3 of a billion dollars to replace.

I am glad to see some more movement on the project though.