New Sellwood Bridge | Completed

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

http://blog.oregonlive.com/clackamas..._jeopardi.html

Clackamas County vote jeopardizes Sellwood Bridge replacement (election results)

Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 8:10 PM
Updated: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 9:20 PM

Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian By Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian

....."This grassroots effort showed the big money and big unions that they cannot push us around," said a "very ecstatic" Eskridge. "This is a strong statement that people are really concerned about where their money is going. We should not be forced to pay for somebody else's bridge, the same as you should not be forced to pay for your neighbor's roof."

© 2011 OregonLive.com. All rights reserved.

Uh, no, it's NOT the same!!! The bridge is part of our infrastructure, and infrastructure is used by EVERYBODY. And we all pay for the roads and utilities leading to your house way out in Molalla. Your neighbor's roof is on private property and is only used by your neighbor. A fourth grader can understand the difference.

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

....."Voters sent the message that Clackamas County isn't Portland, and it's time for some fiscal responsibility," Holladay said. "The county commissioners need to figure out how to use the money they have wisely instead of just tossing it around for the next green sustainable project, bikes and bike paths. In Clackamas County, we drive cars."

And, so, cars don't use the Sellwood Bridge? More specifically, a boatload of CARS from Clackamas County don't use the Sellwood Bridge? What is fiscally responsible about letting your bridges crumble into the river?

[jaxg8r1]

I think they should refund the Multnomah County tax that we have paid the last year on the replacement, and close the current span to everyone except bicyclists and pedestrians. And if they have to build a new bridge, then just toll it heavily. Let the people who use it pay for it, IMO. Especially since from what I've read that is primarily Clackamas County residents.

[cab]

Parasites, all they want to do is feed off society without giving anything back. Screw em. Close the bridge.

[PacificNW]

Design it to be a toll bridge....

[65MAX]

Only if we also toll State Hwys 211 and 213 going in and out of Molalla. I'm not paying for maintenance of Mr. Eskridge's infrastructure. Or the infrastructure of any other idiot who voted against this.

[philopdx]

These cats oughtta team up with the former mayor of Wilsonville who is also happy as a clam in mud that he drove away Solopower and its 481 $51,000 a year jobs by saving $2 million on a property tax abatement.

They could be the Axis Of Libertarian Awesomeness.

[MarkDaMan]

$5 a year...I understand why the PPS bond was lost ever so closely, even though I supported it. BUT FIVE FREAKING DOLLARS A YEAR?!?! I say keep the registration fee for Multnomah County and the local commitments in place, and toll everyone else not a resident. Those commuters from CC are going to be paying more than $5 a week. Mwahahaa!

[bvpcvm]

Close the bridge to everyone except bikes and pedestrians, put some food carts on it with lots of open-air seating in the summer.

From what I understand, the idiots who voted this thing down 1) aren't really aware that Multnomah County residents are paying their share and 2) argue that Clackamas County actually has the money, but it's being spent on socialist garbage that they don't want - in other words, stop spending money on crap like bike lanes and sidewalks and gimme my damn road!

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by cab

Parasites, all they want to do is feed off society without giving anything back. Screw em. Close the bridge.

Agreed. I think it's time to begin seriously discussing closing the bridge and not replacing it. That's the only thing that will completely change the conversation, and many of the same voters who said no to doing their part will see the value of what they're going to lose.

Then, put it back on the ballot.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

Close the bridge to everyone except bikes and pedestrians...

...and rename it the Five Dollar Bridge.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Uh, no, it's NOT the same!!! The bridge is part of our infrastructure, and infrastructure is used by EVERYBODY. And we all pay for the roads and utilities leading to your house way out in Molalla. Your neighbor's roof is on private property and is only used by your neighbor. A fourth grader can understand the difference.



And, so, cars don't use the Sellwood Bridge? More specifically, a boatload of CARS from Clackamas County don't use the Sellwood Bridge? What is fiscally responsible about letting your bridges crumble into the river?

Why does the Green Line serve Clackamas Town Center? Why will the Orange Line go into Clackamas County? Why is the state looking at building the Sunrise Corridor?

It's frustrating enough that Washington and Oregon have to fight over funding of infrastructure that benefits both states, but having counties within Oregon within the Portland Metro Area fighting over things that are regionally significant? That's just pathetic.

[RED_PDXer]

I think Clackamas County residents feel that they already contribute enough to road taxes (not true in my opinion given the low rate of the gas tax and increased fuel efficiency). They think the new Sellwood Bridge has too many "extras". For example, the westside "interchange" is going to cost $100 million alone. That's because ODOT engineers are controlling the design and requiring a design speed of 45 mph and extra-wide shoulders, basically a highway design. Going with a lower design speed would probably save quite a bit of money and they wouldn't need to cut into the hillside at all. The County could also build the bridge over the same spot as the old bridge, which would close the bridge for a few years. That would save millions. Instead, the County has promised to keep the existing bridge open while the new one is constructed just next to it, and then widen the new one to accommodate more vehicle lanes at the giant intersection with Hwy 43.

Long story short, this bridge can easily be built without the Clackamas County funds and will be built. The fact of the matter is, the Sellwood Bridge isn't used by that many people. It's only 1 lane wide and connects a cemetery with a sleepy Portland neighborhood. $300 million seems like an awful lot to pump into a one-lane roadway connection.

Why not replace it with a medium-sized ferry that costs $3/car and free for bikes/peds. or maybe just a bike/ped bridge... The Sellwood neighborhood would be better off with less cut-through traffic, Hwy 43 would be faster, and the unused funds could pay for more important transportation improvements in the region.

[Shilo Rune 96]

I just got this in the mail today:

http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/files/...07-for-web.pdf

So construction is starting next month? I didn't have time read everything yet.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Bridge cam:
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/?p=construction-camera

[Shilo Rune 96]

Letter to the Editor: Sellwood Bridge truss could become bike/pedestrian bridge between Milwaukie, Lake Oswego


Now is the time for Metro to begin studying moving sections of the existing Sellwood Bridge to a location next to the Lake Oswego-Milwaukie railroad bridge and building a bridge for pedestrians and bikes. In 2010 the Union Pacific Railroad denied Metro permission to study adding a pedestrian/bike deck on the Lake Oswego-Milwaukie railroad bridge.

Reusing the steel truss from the current Sellwood Bridge is the least expensive way to obtain a pedestrian/bike bridge between Lake Oswego and Milwaukie. The Willamette River is 600 feet wide where the railroad bridge spans the river with two 298-foot through-trusses. Reusing the two 300-foot center spans from the Sellwood Bridge's main truss is a perfect fit. The truss is 20 feet wide allowing for a 14-foot pedestrian bike deck.

At the completion of the new Sellwood Bridge the current bridge structure will be put on barges and floated downstream to a wharf. At that point the concrete deck can be removed, the truss modified, a pedestrian/bike deck installed inside the truss, and the truss painted. Then the truss can be floated upstream and installed on new piers next to the railroad bridge.

A new pedestrian bike bridge will provide excellent access between Lake Oswego and the Trolley Trail in Oak Grove, the (future) Park Avenue Light Rail Station, and Milwaukie.

Fred Sawyer
Oak Grove


Via: OregonLive.

[philopdx]

Sellwood bridge update from March 18th, 2012. That temporary shoo-fly bridge is going to be a TIGHT fit against those condos.

[philopdx]

Update 5-5-2012:

[Grantenfuego]

Wow. That Shoo Fly bridge is getting crammed in there. Are there still going to be people in those condos while the bridge is there? If so that would be super uncomfortable. It kinda reminds me of pictures of the L train in Chicago whizzing right past people's windows.

[MarkDaMan]

Committee bewildered by Sellwood Bridge proposal
POSTED: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 03:32 PM PT
BY: Aaron Spencer
Daily Journal of Commerce

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/07/17...idge-proposal/

A final design proposal to replace the Sellwood Bridge had city and state officials perched on the edges of their seats Monday – and not with excitement.

“That causes me great concern,” Mayor Sam Adams said. “This is the largest single project of mine in eight years in terms of money invested. … I’m going to have to cut the city transportation budget to absorb these costs.”

Adams’ concern stemmed from two aspects of the proposal: Multnomah County officials estimated the project would cost $299 million, nearly $70 million more than last estimated, and county officials made drastic changes to the bridge’s design to reach that amount.

Adding more fuel to the situation was the fact that the county submitted the proposal late last week, not leaving much time for Adams and other elected officials of the project’s public stakeholder committee to review it before having to make a decision Monday.

“I don’t understand why you proposed such radial changes at the last minute,” Adams said. “Respectively, I’m suffering from whiplash here.”

The changes presented in the proposal included removing a multi-use bike path from the project’s original plan and reworking the bridge layout in a way that pushed most of the bicycle and pedestrian lanes onto the north side of the structure.

County officials said the changes were necessary because of unexpected costs associated with the project. Those costs include a rise in the prices of steel, concrete and other project materials, and an increase in the amount of contaminated soil found on the project’s site. The changes would save more than $2 million, according to county officials.

Committee members weren’t convinced, however. Removing the multi-use path and putting most of the bridge’s bike lanes on its north side would make it dangerous for bikers and pedestrians trying to access the bridge from its south side, they said.

“Certainly a lot of people already risk their lives as far as bicycling and walking up Highway 43, so as long as that changes, we can move forward,” said Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, who serves as chairwoman of the committee.

Additionally, committee members were confused about why the project’s cost increased in the first place. Although Adams said he recognized that cost estimations usually increase over the course of a project, he also said he was puzzled as to how the project’s could have strayed so far from the original estimate

“I just don’t understand where the cuts will come from,” Adams said. “Seventy million dollars is a big swing, and I’m left wondering where this leaves us.”

County officials justified their actions by stating that there was no way to predict the unexpected costs. And, to come up with the changes, officials worked with independent engineers and citizens, said Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury.

“I want to make one thing clear. There are a lot of committees, citizen involvement and staff involved,” she said. “This is not just people making decisions in a room with the door closed by themselves.”

Despite their voiced concerns, committee members approved the proposal, including cost-saving changes such as using concrete instead of steel on the bridge columns and having only one turning lane of the bridge’s west side interchange. Dropped from the final proposal, however, were the suggestions to eliminate the multi-use path and relocate bike and pedestrian lanes to the bridge’s north side.

County officials said their main goal for their proposal was to win approval without running into time delays, which would force project costs even higher. A month-long delay on the project could cost as much as $1 million more, city officials said. The proposal will now go before the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.

While Adams gave the proposal a thumbs-up vote, he said he plans to meet with Sellwood Bridge project managers and the project’s general contractors, Slayden Construction and Sundt Construction, personally to verify why the cost increased and whether there are additional steps that can be taken to save money.

“I want the project that was proposed six years ago,” Adams said.

[philopdx]

At least they kept the path.