Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge | Complete

[Tim the Enchanter]

A bridge to somewhere

LAIR HILL/SOUTH WATERFRONT — The City of Bridges will soon become home to the first completed “extradosed” bridge in the United States with the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge, connecting historic Lair Hill to the burgeoning South Waterfront district.

Architects at IDC Architects and engineers at CH2M HILL are a third of the way through the design process of the bridge that has shorter towers than a cable-stay bridge and a thinner profile than a box girder bridge. The result, say supporters, is a more aesthetically pleasing design with less change in elevation through its 300-foot length — a big concern for a bridge that begins about 100 vertical feet from where it ends.

The European “extradosed” design style is also going to be used by the much larger Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in Connecticut, but as it isn’t scheduled to be completed until 2015, Portland will be able to claim the first such bridge in the nation when construction finishes in 2010.

“So, for the City of Bridges, having one of the newer (types of) bridges is nice,” said Project Manager Jody Yates from the Portland Office of Transportation.

The total budget for the bridge is $11.3 million, $9.7 million of which was obtained through federal grants, Yates said.

The discussion of the bridge started decades ago when the Interstate-5 freeway cut off direct pedestrian access from Lair Hill to the Willamette River and vice-versa.

“Definitely the observation of a missing link between the neighborhood and the river has been there a while,” Yates said.

The issue of the missing connection languished for a while, but with the recent explosion of development in the South Waterfront, and the completion of the Portland Aerial Tram, the need for pedestrian access across I-5 has been pushed to the top of the city’s priority list.

PDOT began toying around with the idea in 2006, but began a formal design process last April, which included public input sessions over the summer.

“We can hardly wait for the pedestrian bridge,” said South Portland Neighborhood Association President Ken Love, who added that the neighborhood involvement in the process was “outstanding.”

Through the input sessions and meetings with the Portland Development Commission, officials settled on the extradosed design and a five-story elevator tower near the tram that will be big enough to accommodate a family of four with bicycles. There will also be stairway with a trough for bicyclists.

Yates said the design team is also looking to incorporate public art into one or both of the plazas at the bridge termini.

But she also noted that state law mandates the use of “screening” or fencing to keep bridge users from throwing things at the vehicles passing underneath — something that some residents fear will detract from the bridge’s aesthetics.

For now, the design process continues. City officials hope to go out to bid on the project in August 2009.

Working mostly at night to wrestle the pre-formed concrete girders into place over I-5, contractors expect the work to take about a year, Yates said.

Once it begins, she said, “Every morning people will wake up and it will be a little more complete.”

http://www.swcommconnection.com/news...55078084719200

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[zilfondel]

oh shit, construction on the pedestrian bridge is already underway?!?!

Thats awesome! I had no idea. And its cool that we're getting a cable stayed design, too... just wish they put in a ramp for us cyclists, but I guess an elevator is good too.

[65MAX]

Not yet, final design of the bridge is under way. It goes out to bid in August and will be completed in 2010, probably late 2010.

[CUclimber]

It figures that they'd start construction on the pedestrian bridge right when I'm planning on moving out of the Lair Hill neighborhood. That bridge will be a MASSIVE help for both Lair Hill and SoWa, and it really opens up the Lair Hill neighborhood for OHSU employees who want to commute via the tram. There has always been a lack of commercial development in the neighborhood (the RIG is really the only place on Corbett to buy food of any kind), and a connection with a more commercial area will make the neighborhood a much more attractive place to live.

I have lived on Corbett for 3.5 years now and I feel that it's one of Portland's little hidden gems; the fact that it's cut off from the rest of the city by I-5, Barbur, and the Ross Island bridge on-ramp makes it feel a bit secluded at times (which can be a good thing) and it's nice to have a way to connect it to the rest of the city without adding any streets.

[cab]

City Council approves designs for a South Waterfront span over I-5


Interesting photo of similar bridge
http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDeta...ransportation-

[sowat]

Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge

The next project open house will be on Wednesday, March 18th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Umpqua Bank in the South Waterfront (3606 SW Bond Street). Learn about the project and see the 90% complete designs for the new pedestrian bridge. Open house materials will be available on the Meeting Materials [ http://www.gibbsbridge.org/Meetings.aspx ] before the open house.

Extensive 3-4-09 Advisory Committee Presentation PDF (13.8 MB):
http://www.gibbsbridge.org/ProjectLi...on_03.4.09.pdf

http://www.gibbsbridge.org/



The first phase, aimed at selecting a preferred design concept, was completed in September 2008 and on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 City Council approved the recommended extradosed bridge design. Through summer 2009, engineers and designers will work to develop construction-ready plans. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2009 and be complete in late 2010.

[MarkDaMan]

I like the water element!

[dkealoha]

It will be interesting to see how they handle the amount of traffic going through the Kelley/Gibbs intersection. Seems like that'd be a pretty dangerous place to cross the street once getting off the pedestrian bridge. Everyone speeds down Kelley going onto/off of the Ross Island Bridge.

Originally Posted by sowat

[65MAX]

Looks great!! Definitely worth the wait to get it done right.

[sowat]

Originally Posted by dkealoha

It will be interesting to see how they handle the amount of traffic going through the Kelley/Gibbs intersection. Seems like that'd be a pretty dangerous place to cross the street once getting off the pedestrian bridge. Everyone speeds down Kelley going onto/off of the Ross Island Bridge.

I guess that's why they're adding pedestrian islands, to try to slow that traffic down. Of course the intersection is a standstill after 3 pm for cars going north onto Grover and Ross Island Bridge. That whole bridge intersection is the dumbest & worst I've seen anywhere in the country! I hope they fix that one day. In fact many could (and no doubt will) argue the money being spent on this great pedestrian bridge would be far more beneficial fixing other problematic roads and intersections. However, one project at a time, right.

[scottyboi]

cool...the bridge and surrounding landscaping look great...but that big thing at the end (i'm guessing it's an elevator) is pretty heinous...then again, not sure if there is a pretty way of doing a bare elevator shaft :-)

[pylon]

Originally Posted by scottyboi

cool...the bridge and surrounding landscaping look great...but that big thing at the end (i'm guessing it's an elevator) is pretty heinous...then again, not sure if there is a pretty way of doing a bare elevator shaft :-)

lol

This bridge, combined with the tram tower, could become Portland's "gateway" for drivers heading north on the 5. And what a nice gateway it will be. This should improve the whole city's property value.

Vestas employees will love walking to work over this.

[sowat]

Originally Posted by scottyboi

cool...the bridge and surrounding landscaping look great...but that big thing at the end (i'm guessing it's an elevator) is pretty heinous...then again, not sure if there is a pretty way of doing a bare elevator shaft :-)

I like the glass elevator shaft. It will compliment the OHSU facility, streetcars & aerial tram. I think this will look like a pretty high tech corridor. All we need is an impressive Vestas HQ!

[NewUrbanist]

Wild - this building is taking shape quickly. Although the north facing residents at the John Ross are likely not, I am looking forward to the rise of the tower and the addition of glass windows. It seems odd that the nicest looking building in SoWa will be a retirement home. Those cutting age seniors have all the luck.

[WestCoast]

looks nice, but man that's a lot of steps.

[philopdx]

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a better setting for a sword fight out of "Highlander".

It's about time we had a blockbuster movie shot here!

[sowat]

The Oregonian published a different rendering/angle

(and mention tonight's open house)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environmen..._new_brid.html

[MarkDaMan]

^I really like this bridge.

Imagine, you're driving north on the I-5 into Portland for the first time. You see Mt. Hood in the distance, the Willamette River in valley below, and then you round the Terwilliger curves and and BAM! SoWa. Add in the aerial tram and this bridge...what an awesome southern gateway.

I've always enjoyed watching the face of friends when I take them through the 26 tunnels from the forested mountains for that first impression of Portland. I think when built, this will be an ever better approach.

[Okstate]

I think it's a great...if not the coolest approaches into the city as well (from HW 26 eastbound). I've often thought about picking up my family (whom some haven't came to visit yet) & introducing them to Portland from this angle. Coming from the airport I guess you'd have to drive around I-205 through HW 217 then head back east on HW 26. Quite exhaustive.

-Actually coming into town on I-84 westbound wouldn't be so bad if a few less than attractive buildings (IMO) weren't in the way ( i.e. the huge storage building that's an aqua blue color).
-One positive thing about that approach is that with the new hospital addition on the north end of I-84 near Hollywood it should block the view of those quite hideous highrise residential towers.
-If the Lloyd district could create an iconic skyline of sorts then we'd have great gateways of I-84 westbound into downtown, I-5 northbound, HW 26 eastbound, & I suppose I-5 southbound isn't too bad either... especially if you exit & cross over the Fremont.

-I know it's a heated debate on either side (& many merits can be attributed to either case) but the amount of paved highway on the eastbank is just overwhelming. I can just see the city officials greeting some out of country ambassadors & the whole car ride into downtown our people are touting Portlands' awesomeness (sustainability, less cars by american standards, more euro-centric etc etc...) then downtown comes into view & it looks like a mini Los Angeles in the foreground. It really is the ugly stepchild in town that needs to grow up & move out.




Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/mightyacorn/.

I always thought this was a pretty sweet ped. bridge crossing an interstate (in denver) but I think ours may come away on top.

[dkealoha]

Did anyone go to the open house last night? I figured all the info I needed to know I had already seen on this forum so what was the point ;-)