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The Community Task Force for the Burnside Bridge replacement project has endorsed three cost-saving measures that would reduce the price tag by $185 million to $240 million.

The group’s unanimous vote Monday was in favor of a girder-style structure (instead of a tied-arch or cable-supported span) for the west approach as well as a bascule movable span like the one on the existing bridge.

The task force also supported narrowing the original proposed bridge width in order to save approximately $165 million; that is the greatest cost reduction among the three measures. The number of vehicular lanes would be reduced from five to four, and the bicyclist and pedestrian lane would be reduced from 20 feet to roughly 14-17 feet.

However, most task force members stated their votes for the width reduction came more from a sense of urgency to accelerate the project than from strong support for the lane reduction. Many of them acknowledged that if the new Burnside Bridge were the only Willamette River crossing left standing following a major earthquake, the additional vehicle lane and larger bicyclist-pedestrian lane would be needed.

鈥淚t’s nuts to not have that,鈥� said Susan Lindsay, a Buckman Community Association representative.

Without the cost-saving measures the project’s cost would be in the $1 billion range, but only $300 million is available. Task force members requested a return to the original proposed bridge width if enough funding becomes available.

The project team has identified four potential national funding opportunities via the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

• $12.5 billion Federal Highway Administration competitive grant program for nationally significant bridges and other bridges
• $8.78 billion PROTECT (Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation) grant program
• $15 billion megaprojects grant program, and the
• $15 billion RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant program

But for the megaprojects grant, the Burnside Bridge project team would need to make a case that it’s a significant regional project. Plus, it would compete with the Interstate Bridge Replacement program.

Monday’s meeting was the first of a series this year to finalize the design of a new Burnside Bridge. The cost-saving measures will now go before the Multnomah County Policy Group in March for review and potential approval. Then they would go before the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.

The board last week approved use of the construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) contract method for the project.

The county plans to issue a request for CM-GC proposals this summer, said Megan Neill, the project manager and engineering services manager with the transportation division. The goal is to have a CM-GC under contract by this fall, when the final design phase will begin.

If funding is secured, construction will start in 2025.