Burnside Bridge Earthquake Readiness Project

[maccoinnich]

Multnomah County's 20-year bridge plan emphasizes earthquake endurance



A tug and barge, bringing arch pieces for the Sellwood Bridge from Thompson Metal Fab in Vancouver to the bridge construction site on the Willamette River, pass under the Burnside Bridge (the Steel Bridge is visible in the background) on Dec. 15, 2014. County leaders want to spend $496 million to either replace or significantly upgrade the Burnside Bridge for emergency crews to safely cross the Willamette River after a major earthquake. Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian


By Tony Hernandez | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Multnomah County wants to spend about a half-billion dollars to prepare the Burnside Bridge for emergency crews to safely cross the Willamette River after a major earthquake.

An estimated $496 million project to either replace or significantly upgrade the 89-year-old span can be found in a 20-year improvement plan for the county's six bridges.

Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury offered the proposal Thursday. The plan calls for 52 other projects with an estimated $1.3 billion total price tag. Approximately 200,000 people use the county's six bridges on a daily basis, according to the plan.

...continues at the Oregonian.