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A public comment period has opened for a federal study on the project to replace the Burnside Bridge.

Members of the public may comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project. Multnomah County is planning to replace the bridge with a seismically resilient span.

County commissioners have opted for a 鈥渓ong span鈥� replacement, but the design has not been finalized. The EIS is a key step in the project, and one required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Construction is expected to take about five years. The project may cost at least $825 million, according to county documents.

The draft EIS lays out a number of construction impacts, including closure of the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade for 18 months to 30 months and diversion of vehicle traffic onto the Morrison Bridge.

The current lift-span bridge, completed in 1926, is regarded as vulnerable to collapse during a severe earthquake.

Comments can be submitted online at , by email to [email protected], or via mail to Burnside Draft EIS, 1403 S.E. Water Ave., Portland, OR 97214.