Multnomah County is pursuing $5 million in federal funding to help pay for the design of a retrofit or replacement for the 111-year-old Stark Street Bridge. It spans the Sandy River and connects east Troutdale to the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Currently, the project is in the environmental review phase. The project team is seeking grants and other financial resources to advance this project into the design and construction phases.

Last month, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a notice of intent, giving staff the green light to apply for a federal grant. It would come through the U.S. Department of Transportation‘s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.

Notification of a potential grant award is expected in June, Multnomah County project manager Megan Neill said, adding that there is ample competition for the funding. Transportation projects face a lot of uncertainty at the federal level, Multnomah County spokesperson Sarah Hurwitz said.

“If we’re not successful, we would apply again the following year after receiving feedback from our application,” Neill said. “We’re tracking some other federal grant opportunities as well.”

The environmental review phase began last fall and is expected to continue into early 2027. The project team is exploring a range of options for either retrofitting or replacing the bridge with the goal of creating a modern crossing that fits into the natural area and meets safety standards. The team will evaluate those options against potential impacts.

“The biggest impact that we’re finding is that the bridge is a historic resource,” Neill said. “While it’s not on the (National Register of Historic Places), it has historic qualities in and of itself, so you have to treat it as such.”

The bridge is a contributing resource for the Historic Columbia River Highway, a national historic landmark. Some of the properties south of the bridge may have been used by the Portland Automobile Club when the bridge was built. The team will evaluate whether those properties have any formal historical qualities that need to be addressed, Neill said.

Multnomah County is using road funds to pay for environmental review. It is expected to cost between $2 million and $3.5 million, depending on the level of detail required, Neill said.

The project team has gathered public input on the bridge since last fall and will continue to do so through each phase.

Over several years, multiple car crashes involving the bridge’s supporting approaches have weakened the structural integrity, Hurwitz said. In 2024, the bridge was closed for six months to allow reconstruction of the north approach.

This past December, the county closed the bridge to all semi-trailers and commercial trucks that weigh more than 19 tons and are traveling from the Historic Columbia River Highway. The county made this change after semi-trucks repeatedly hit the bridge, frequently taking the turn onto it too quickly, a county press release states. These crashes often resulted in damage to the bridge or its approach. This new restriction will be in place until the bridge is retrofitted or replaced.

Next year, the county will consider input from the community and agency partners when it selects a preferred alternative for the design.

“We understand how important this crossing is to the Corbett and Troutdale community,” Neill said. “We also understand that any closure would significantly impact their daily lives, so we’re taking that into account.”

The goal will be to minimize the possible closure as much as possible.

The cost estimate for the design is $5 million to $6.5 million, Neill said. If funding were secured, the county could seek bids for the design work in summer 2027 and then select a firm in autumn. The design phase would start in early 2028.

The cost estimate for construction isn’t known yet. Depending on when the project becomes fully funded, construction could start in 2031.

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