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Construction of a bridge across the Willamette River is under way, with concrete now being poured for pillars on the first new cross-river bridge in four decades. The work is part of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project, now a year into its development.

That year has seen get prepared, and the pile of paperwork is about to grow some more. A was filed on behalf of Clackamas County residents by project opponent Jim Knapp, who says the county’s $25 million project commitment lacks public input.

The new 7.3-mile light rail is expected to open in September 2015, with a project cost of about $1.5 billion. Clackamas County’s $25 million share represents under 2 percent of the total costs in TriMet’s long-term plan to connect the western edge of Milwaukie, which is just east of the river, with the Portland State University campus on the west side and the MAX Green and Yellow lines.

The petition is undergoing official review, and organizers need about 9,400 signatures on the petition in order to place a measure on the May 2012 ballot. The group behind the petition was able to place a ballot measure in May 2011 that  that broke ground earlier this month.

Clackamas County voters withheld $22 million in funding for the Sellwood Bridge Project when they voted against the petition-powered ballot measure in May 2011. TIGER III grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation have recovered most of that funding, though it is unclear how TriMet will resolve funding issues if Clackamas voters vote against their portion of the light rail funding.

TriMet anticipates being created due to the light rail. By 2030, the company anticipates about 23,000 riders daily on the light rail and 100,000 jobs along its corridor.