Five filtration systems and 10 stormwater treatment facilities are in the works in Northwest Portland.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) infrastructure projects are intended to clean stormwater runoff from the Fremont Bridge, the St. Johns Bridge and elsewhere along U.S. Route 30.

“These new systems will connect into our current stormwater pipes to remove large debris such as trash and pollutants such as metals and oil from the water,” ODOT spokesperson David House stated in an email.

ODOT’s estimated total cost for design and construction is $37 million.

The five filtration systems will be next to the bridges, and the 10 stormwater treatment facilities will be along U.S. 30. All will collect stormwater from roadways and filter it before releasing it to the Willamette River between Sauvie Island and downtown Portland. Most sites are underground and will not be visible from roads and sidewalks, House stated.

“Rain from roads and other hard surfaces picks up trash, metals such as copper and lead, oil and other pollutants,” House stated. “When untreated, these pollutants wash into drains and nearby waterways diminishing water quality and habitat. Each filtration system we build will improve water quality in the Willamette River by removing large debris like trash and smaller pollutants like metals and oil before they reach the river.”

Project sites will include: the St. Johns Bridge, with two underground filtration systems (one beneath North Philadelphia Avenue on the east end and one beneath Northwest Knappton-General Road on the west end); the Fremont Bridge, with an aboveground filtration system at the base on the east end as well as an underground filtration system beneath the landscaping at the base on the west end; near the Willamette Greenway trail; and at the Fremont Bridge west ramps (at 1500 N.W. Raleigh St.), with an underground stormwater treatment system that includes a 12-foot-tall prefabricated control room and an approximately 20-foot-tall storage tank. Also, the underground treatment systems along U.S. 30 will be built in the highway shoulder between Northwest Nicolai Street and Northwest Marina Way.

WSP has produced project design and specifications for ODOT, according to House. That will allow flexibility in specific site solutions, which will be produced by the contractor for required reviews ahead of construction, he stated.

Bidding for a general contractor opened on Monday. ODOT expects to select a contractor by this spring, House stated.

Construction is expected to begin sometime this year and require approximately two years to complete.

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Project name: Salmon Creek Treatment Plant Phase 5A: Package 2 – Columbia River Effluent Pipeline

Location: Vancouver, Washington

Completion: November 2024

Cost: $20,017,343

Owner: Clark Regional Wastewater District

Engineer: Jacobs

General Contractor: Tapani Inc.

Submitting Company: Tapani Inc.

Subcontractors: A-Line Asphalt Maintenance, Abernathy, Able Fence, Advanced American Construction, Copper Mechanical, Glacier Drilling & Dewatering, Gonzales Boring and Tunneling, Grayling Engineers, HD Fowler, Industrial Inspection & Services, Karvonen Sand & Gravel, Longhorn Geomatics, North 40 Fencing, North Fork Landscape, Pauley, Tap Master, Tyeco Home Services

After years of strategic planning, Tapani has completed a major infrastructure project that will serve Clark County, Washington, residents for the next half-century.

The Phase 5A: Package 2 project at the Salmon Creek Treatment Plant involved installing approximately 6,000 feet of 48-inch effluent pipeline, creating a new treated wastewater outfall system with unique engineering challenges. This project was both significant and unique due to its complex route and engineering challenges. Unlike typical outfalls that simply discharge into water, this one had to navigate two fish-bearing rivers and pass beneath an active railroad.

The project included a bored crossing of the BNSF railroad, crossings of both Salmon Creek and Lake River, and connections to existing infrastructure. Tapani collaborated with Clark Regional Wastewater District (CRWWD) and engineers to redesign aspects of the project before construction began.

In a significant cost-saving measure, the team replaced the originally proposed steel pipe with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), saving CRWWD approximately $350,000 while reducing the project schedule by three weeks.

Safety remained paramount throughout construction, with all team members completing specialized marine training before work began. Advanced American Construction provided critical support by constructing a bridge capable of supporting heavy equipment, allowing access to otherwise unreachable areas.

The completed infrastructure will support long-term population and economic growth in Clark County while enhancing environmental protection of local waterways. By increasing wastewater management capacity, the system now accommodates projected growth for the next 50 years while ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

The investment strengthened the community’s foundation for continued prosperity while preserving natural ecosystems for future generations.

“The Phase 5A/Package 2 project builds on decades of planning to ensure that the Discovery Clean Water Alliance could meet the region’s long-term wastewater treatment needs and continue to ensure public health, environmental quality, and the local area’s economic future growth,” Bob Sanguinetti, CRWWD district construction program manager, said in the Top Projects submission form.

This project did not have specific minority contracting goals or requirements. However, Tapani proactively sought opportunities to engage DBE, SBE and WBE firms, exceeding 12.5 percent utilization.

The successful Package 2 project follows Tapani’s earlier completion of Phase 5A: Package 1 at the same facility, continuing a multi-year improvement initiative for the region’s wastewater treatment capabilities.

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