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KPFF Consulting Engineers last week was awarded a $2.3 million contract by the city of Portland to design the , which will provide pedestrians and cyclists an easier way to cross Interstate 84 and Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

Design costs are being paid for by the transportation development fund and Prosper Portland.

鈥淭he Lloyd District (Transportation Management Association) has been advocating for this for a long time,鈥� said Dan Layden, project manager for the city of Portland. 鈥淲e were able to find some funds to get it done.鈥�

The project, which is expected to produce a bridge extending between 370 and 420 feet, is in the early design stage. The exact alignment is still being studied, but it will likely end up starting at Northeast Seventh Avenue on the north side of I-84 and end at either Northeast Seventh or Eighth avenues on the south side.

Currently, the closest options in the area for pedestrians or bicyclists are crossings at Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Narrow sidewalks and streetcar tracks pose challenges at both crossings. The closest street with bike lanes is Northeast 12th Avenue.

The bridge will also provide improvements to the intersection of Northeast Seventh Avenue and Lloyd Boulevard.

The bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic, but allow access for emergency vehicles. The span is also a key element of the Green Loop that will eventually provide walking and cycling options around the central city and the Willamette River.

Alternative analysis of the project will continue through the fall, and more detailed design will begin in January 2018. Design is expected to be completed in early 2019. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2019 and last through summer 2020.