[Grantenfuego]

Sellwood Bridge Project design approved by Multnomah County commissioners
POSTED: Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 02:44 PM PT
BY: Reed Jackson

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners today approved the final design of the Sellwood Bridge Project.

With the approval, construction can begin late this summer on the bridge’s replacement, which will be a steel deck arch bridge. Construction on a detour bridge has already begun.

The board’s decision comes only a few days after Mayor Sam Adams and the project’s public stakeholder committee approved the design, but rejected some of its features, including the placement of bike lanes on only one side of the bridge.

Adams also showed concern about the project’s overall cost of $299 million, which according to him, is close to $70 million more than the project’s original estimated cost (county officials say it’s closer to $30 million).

Despite the design being approved by the committee and now the board, project managers will continue to explore design options to lower the project’s cost, said Commissioner Deborah Kafoury.

The project is expected to finish spring of 2016.