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A citizens committee will meet tonight to make suggestions for the design of the Sellwood Bridge replacement.The committee is made up of local residents and stakeholders (though I hate that word) like businesses, people who live near the bridge, river users and design professionals.

The $265 million project by Multnomah County currently has a $20 million budget shortfall, though a new design proposal could make up $10 million of that.

The committee will discuss how to further make up that shortfall and throw around ideas for design features, including suggestions given to the county via , which ended yesterday.

Here are some of the features that will come up, :

• bridge lighting
• lookouts
• fencing
• surface treatments

Of course, all of the design ideas have to fit in the project’s budget; the county has to have all costs accounted for with a funding plan before construction can start as scheduled in July 2012. If some of the design ideas fit more in the “nice to have” category, those can be held over for a later construction phase.

Some in-water work has already been done at the bridge site. Construction of a detour bridge is scheduled for December, and work on the new bridge is scheduled for July 2012.

The Community Advisory Committee will meet today, Aug. 22 at 5:30 p.m.; SMILE Station, 8210 S.E. 13th Ave., in Portland.