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Multnomah County officials plan to repair the deteriorating Morrison Bridge deck before a lawsuit over a botched $4.2 million steel grating replacement project goes to court.

The county is suing the contractor as well as both the manufacturer and the supplier of the deck panels installed during the project for the cost of repairs. However, officials can’t wait until the lawsuit is resolved to fix the bridge, county spokesman Mike Pullen said. A court date has been set for Sept. 15, 2014, he said.

Problems surfaced within the first year following completion of the deck replacement project, Pullen said. Lightweight polymer deck panels that Ridgefield, Wash.-based Conway Construction installed on the Morrison Bridge less than two years ago already appear worn and are coming loose, he said. The panels were manufactured by Durham, N.C.-based ZellComp Inc., and supplied by Strongwell Corp. of Bristol, Va.

“What’s become clear is there will be some repairs that will be needed,” Pullen said. “The county believes there are problems with both the installation and the fabrication of the panels.”

The repairs to the bridge deck will be done next year, and county officials are still determining a schedule, Pullen said. The work will not require a complete shutdown to traffic, he said.

“It’s quite likely the repairs will be completed before this trial starts,” Pullen said. “The scale of the repairs and the funding for them is still being worked out.”

In June, Conway Construction sued ZellComp and Strongwell, blaming the deck panel manufacturer and supplier for the failing panels. Last month, the county filed a complaint in intervention on Conway’s lawsuit, claiming the contractor should also pay for the repairs, valued at $2 million, according to court documents.

Attorneys representing Conway and ZellComp could not be reached for comment.

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners recently agreed to a settlement with Conway to pay the contractor a portion of the money the county withheld after discovering problems with the Morrison Bridge’s deck. Some of the settlement money will be held in reserve until the lawsuit over bridge repair responsibility is resolved, according to a county statement.