91视频

Multnomah County has approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation for a project to improve the Broadway Bridge in Portland.

The bridge鈥檚 movable span has failing deck systems that will be replaced, Emily Miletich, engineering services manager for the county, said during a meeting on June 29.

The two existing deck systems are made of fiber-reinforced polymer. One deck system was installed 17 years ago and the other 11 years ago; both show signs of deterioration.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just to the point where it鈥檚 taken a lot of maintenance resources for us to keep it operational,鈥� Miletich told the 91视频. 鈥淎s decks get to kind of the end of their life, they start to deteriorate faster and faster.鈥�

The steel-and-grid replacement deck system will be filled with lightweight concrete.

As part of the project, crews will replace the machinery that allows the bridge to open and close. Those components are at the end of their useful lives and need to be replaced to avoid any loss of functionality. That鈥檚 critical for the county, which is mandated to open the bridge whenever a boat operator requests it.

The project鈥檚 design phase began in July 2021 and wrapped up a few months ago. WSP is the prime design firm; its main subconsultant, Hardesty & Hanover, designed the machinery replacements.

Multnomah County will open its solicitation of bids for a general contractor on July 28. Bidding will be open for four weeks.

The intergovernmental agreement includes a total project cost of approximately $21.8 million, including approximately $19.8 million for construction. That is being paid for primarily ($17.8 million) with funding from the Federal Highway Administration, which distributes funds to the Oregon Department of Transportation for projects. The remaining $2 million is being covered by county bridge fund matches.

鈥淚n order to complete the repairs, the bridge will need to be closed (to) vehicle (and streetcar) traffic for a period of about five months,鈥� Miletich said.

During that time, the multiuse paths along the bridge鈥檚 sides will remain open to bicyclists and pedestrians. The project team has developed detour routes for vehicle traffic. There will be a detour route marked with signs, and there will be public outreach before the bridge closes. The Portland Streetcar will have a detour route as well.

On-site construction is expected to start early next year and finish by March 2025.