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.
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