Click on the frequently asked questions below to read the answers.
Community Task Force
How were the Community Task Force members chosen?
The county recruited applicants for the
Community Task Force during the winter and spring of 2006.
Presentations were made to more than 30 groups, including neighborhood and business associations
as well as open public meetings. Seventy people applied to serve on the task force and 20 were
selected and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. In choosing the members, the County
sought to include leaders from the major stakeholder groups impacted by the project. These include
neighborhood associations, business districts, and groups representing bridge users such as commuters,
freight, transit, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
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Why doesn’t the Community Task Force include property
owners whose real estate may need to be purchased for the
bridge project?
In recruiting the Community Task Force,
the County sought to include representatives of all the major stakeholder groups interested in the project. While people who own property
near the bridge have an obvious interest, the County did not want to include individuals who had a financial stake in the project’s
outcome. If a property owner on one side of the bridge was chosen for the task force, but a property owner from the other side of
the bridge was not, it could bias the recommendations of the Community Task Force. The County sought to include the views of property owners
by recruiting representatives of the neighborhood associations on both sides of the bridge. The presidents of those neighborhood
associations were recruited for the task force and are expected to represent the interests of their constituents, including property
owners near the bridge.
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The Sellwood Bridge
What are the dimensions of the Sellwood Bridge?
The Sellwood
Bridge is 1,971 feet long, with 75 feet of vertical waterway clearance. The main river spans
include four continuous spans; the two center spans are 300 feet long and the two outside
spans are 246 feet long. On top the bridge has a roadway 24 feet wide and one 4-foot 3-inch
sidewalk on the downstream/north side. Street lights attached to the sidewalk reduce the
width to about 3 feet in places. After allowing for safety clearances, there is less than 2
feet of usable sidewalk at points.
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What are the Sellwood Bridge’s main deficiencies?
The bridge has numerous deficiencies, including:
- Poor structural condition, with a limited service life
- Weight restrictions, which have forced an average of 1,400 trucks and buses each
day to find a different river crossing route
- Geologic instability on the west end that has resulted in land slides
- Narrow travel lanes with no shoulders or median
- Short stopping distances and lines of sight for motorists
- Traffic that is at capacity during rush hours
- One narrow sidewalk insufficient for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Poor connections to established trails at each end of the bridge
- Tight ramps at west end that cannot easily accommodate large vehicles
- High risk of structural failure in the event of an earthquake
- A National Bridge Inventory sufficiency rating of 2 out of a possible score of 100 (see next question)
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Is the Sellwood Bridge unsafe?
The I-35 bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis had a sufficiency
rating of 50 while the Sellwood Bridge has a sufficiency rating of only 2 on a scale of 100. Every public
bridge has a sufficiency rating that indicates not only its structural condition, but also
how well it serves current traffic needs. The low score of the Sellwood Bridge is due to structural
problems, general deterioration, and a design that poorly serves all traffic modes. Because the Sellwood’s
structural problems are well known, Multnomah County inspects the bridge every three months in addition
to a required biennial inspection. Bridge inspectors monitor structural problems in the bridge, which
have stabilized since weight limits were reduced several years ago. If Multnomah County ever determines
that the bridge is not safe to use, the bridge will be closed.
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Why is the Sellwood Bridge so important?
The Sellwood Bridge is very important the Portland metro region because of its location.
The bridge provides the only crossing for a 12-mile stretch of the Willamette River
between Oregon City and Portland, and it connects major highways, including Oregon
Highways 99E, 43, and 224. It is the busiest two-lane bridge in Oregon, with an
average daily traffic count of 30,000 vehicles. It is also located in a heavily
populated area that is experiencing high density development.
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Who uses the Sellwood Bridge?
Due to the lack of other river crossings in the southern metro region, and its proximity
to the city limits, the Sellwood Bridge serves a diverse group of users. The bridge
is a primary connection to west Portland for residents and businesses in Sellwood,
Westmoreland, and areas beyond. Many of the bridge users are commuters who live
in Clackamas County. Eighty-three percent of Sellwood Bridge trips begin or end
outside of the Portland city limits, however, 80 percent of all trips begin or end
within the city limits. Prior to the reduction of weight limits in 2004, the bridge
was an important secondary freight route, especially for local deliveries. Weight
limits prevent many trucks from using the bridge, forcing out-of-direction travel
that adds to congestion on other routes and increases costs to businesses and consumers.
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Planning Study
Wasn't there a study like this done a few years ago?
In May of 1999, Metro released the South Willamette River Crossing Study.
This study outlined the assumptions, findings,
and recommendations for the corridor between the Marquam Bridge in Portland and the I-205 Bridge in Oregon City. Final
recommendations from this study were incorporated into Metro's 20-year Transportation Plan.
The current Sellwood Bridge project is building off of the recommendations of the South Willamette River Crossing Study, while
focusing on issues related specifically to the Sellwood Bridge. The result of the current project will be an Environmental Impact Statement,
which will proceed any construction work.
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What is the biggest challenge facing the Sellwood Bridge study?
Probably the biggest challenge that will be addressed in the study will be the scope of the solution,
particularly if a replacement bridge is recommended. Some stakeholders view the bridge as a local
connector and would prefer to see the capacity of the bridge remain as it is now--two
lanes only, but with better bike and pedestrian facilities. Metro’s 1999 South Willamette
River Crossing Study recommended a new two-lane bridge. The City of Portland has
since designated Southeast Tacoma Street as a main street in the Sellwood town center
plan. This perspective may be at odds with the view that the Sellwood Bridge is
a regional transportation facility for commuters, transit, and freight metro-wide.
The bridge is an important link connecting several major highways; therefore, increased
capacity of the Sellwood Bridge to serve a growing regional population is also an
important consideration. Balancing these perspectives to arrive at a widely supported
alternative will be a primary focus of the study.
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Are there other challenges?
Yes. Several issues will need to be addressed as the project moves forward, including:
- Choosing to either replace or rehabilitate the bridge
- Neighborhood livability
- Standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities
- Alignment of a new bridge: north, south, or same location
- Intersection or interchange at Highway 43
- Right-of-way impacts
- Bridge type and cost
- Construction closure: short, long, or none
- Aesthetic issues: the price of good design
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How much will the planning study cost?
The estimated cost for the two-year planning study is $4 million.
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How are the many steps in this planning project organized and
why are they set up in this order?
The process is in compliance with standard practices used on similar projects.
It complies with the federal government mandated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures.
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How does Multnomah County oversee the work of the project
consultant and ensure that tax dollars are spent appropriately?
Can the planning consultant end up designing the preferred
alternative?
Multnomah County and the Oregon Department of Transportation are co-sponsors of the project.
The County and its partners (City of Portland, Metro, ODOT and FHWA) protect the interest of the
taxpayer by providing oversight of the project’s primary consultant CH2M HILL to make sure that
the process is performed without prejudice and is done efficiently.
It is common for an engineering firm that has performed the NEPA (planning) phase of a project
to bid for the subsequent phases: preliminary design, final design, and construction engineering.
However, Multnomah County is under no obligation to choose them. In addition, the Request for
Proposals for the NEPA phase contained the following statement: “The prime contractor that performs
the Phase 1 NEPA work shall be precluded from submitting or being part of a team or joint venture
on a design-build or public-private partnership proposal.”
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Process and System
What do all of these acronyms and bridge terms mean?
A glossary of the project terms has been created to explain the acronyms, groups, agencies, and
bridge terms used in the project documents and this web site. There is also further information
about the groups and agencies on the Who's Involved page.
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What is the purpose of weighting the various evaluation criteria
and categories? How is the weighting used?
The evaluation framework, criteria,
weighting, and scoring are a standard process to aid in decision making.
It helps groups by defining what the goals are, what their priorities are, and provides a numerical tool
to assist in balancing the potential impacts to many important interests.
The purpose of the evaluation process is to provide information about the potential choices to the
Community Task Force (CTF). However, the CTF is not obligated to make a recommendation based on the scores.
The ranking system is one source of information that CTF members consider. Others include: each individual’s
life experiences, information from their interest groups, public comments at CTF meetings, public input from
Open Houses, survey results, and technical information from the project staff.
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Why was there a need to create a different evaluation tool
and not use the Oregon engineering baseline that was used
for 300 bridges?
The evaluation tool was developed specifically for the Sellwood Bridge project to reflect the
interests, concerns, and values of the community as reflected in the Community Task Force.
These were identified though an extensive public outreach process.
The Oregon engineering baseline for 300 bridges (generally highway bridges) is highly general
and was created as a means of streamlining the process so that 300 separate sets of
locally approved criteria did not have to be done. It is a compromise of general
interests throughout the state, but it is not specific to any bridge situation, conditions, or timeframe.
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Why did residential relocations get such a low weighting
(2.2 out of 100 points)?
The issue of residential relocation is well documented from the beginning of the project.
These issues were made known to the Community Task Force (CTF) and there are members
of the CTF who represent neighborhood groups. The issue was included in the
evaluation framework. The CTF then
weighed the categories of issues, deliberated, and reweighed. Then the CTF weighed
issues within the categories, deliberated and reweighed. The final weights represent
the average of all of the CTF members’ weightings.
It would be speculative to give an opinion about why CTF members weighed things as they did.
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What might the costs be for a new or rehabilitated bridge?
This is another major challenge for the project. Until the planning phase
is complete in 2008, we will not know exactly how much money will be needed to fix
or replace the bridge. Cost estimates produced in 2005 ranged from $40 million for
rehabilitation to $140 million for replacement, but those figures are preliminary
and likely to be revised as more detailed designs are completed. The County has
secured about $23 million for this project to date. At this time, there is no dedicated
source of funding for the remainder.
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How has the value of private property been determined in
project costs? When will costs such as condo fees and precise
costs for specific properties be determined?
Costs for Right-of-Way have been developed at a level of accuracy appropriate for the current
stage of the process. Also, for evaluation purposes 40% was added to the estimated Right-of-Way
costs to take into account the fact that the costs were based on estimates and not full appraisals.
If and when specific properties are identified for acquisition, a detailed appraisal will be
performed for each property taken in conformance with federal and state law. Owners will be entitled
to accompany the appraiser during the property inspection and will have the opportunity, prior to the
appraisal being prepared, to provide to the appraiser whatever information the owners may have
concerning their properties. A copy of the completed appraisal will be provided to each owner at
the time the offer to purchase is made. If residential relocation is required as a result of the
project, full relocation benefits will be paid as required by state and federal law.
At this stage of the planning, however, Multnomah County must rely on estimates of value that are not
based on full appraisals of each property that might be acquired.
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Do cost estimates include engineering costs to stabilize the
west end of the bridge from the historic landslide?
They do include engineering costs for stabilizing the west end of the bridge, at
the level of accuracy that is appropriate at this stage of the process.
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Why is there incomplete budget information available for
project costs?
The accuracy level of budget estimates is entirely appropriate for this preliminary stage of
the process. As the number of alternatives decreases (in the Environmental Impact Statement
stage), the level of detail will increase.
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Does Multnomah County or its consultant have a preferred
alternative? How does the County ensure the independence of
the project’s Community Task Force?
Multnomah County and its consultant have no preferred outcome for this planning process.
All reasonable options are on the table and will be considered. The process we are using is
a state-of-the-art public decision-making process called Context Sensitive Design, as taught
by the Federal Highway Administration. The process attempts to balance the many interests
at stake in this project. We are confident that the Community Task Force will consider
the facts and other information they gather from their own constituencies and will arrive
at a well considered recommendation. Alternatives evaluated in the public process
will include options for rehabilitating and replacing the bridge. If a new bridge
is recommended, the study will select its type, size, and location.
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Does the four-lane bridge option open the door to Tacoma
Street (now primarily two lanes) being revisited and widened?
Tacoma Street has functioned in two-lane and four-lane capacities in the past. There are no
plans to change the current two-lane configuration on Tacoma Street. A wider bridge design
would allow more flexibility for future bridge capacity. Changing Tacoma Street is outside
the scope of the Sellwood Bridge Project. The eastern boundary of the bridge project is
6th Avenue and Tacoma Street.
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Teal Alignment
Other Questions
How will I cross the river during construction?
Rehabilitation of the existing Sellwood Bridge would require closing the bridge to traffic
throughout the construction period, likely to extend about three years. During that time,
vehicles can use other bridges in the Portland area to move across the river. Maintaining
a river crossing in the Sellwood area during rehabilitation can be accomplished with a
detour bridge at an approximate cost of $35,600,000 in 2012 dollars. For planning purposes,
the Teal alignment was selected for the detour bridge to minimize residential and business
relocations. A temporary ferry option could also be considered.
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Will a new or rehabilitated bridge be safe during an
earthquake?
New bridges
must be designed to remain in service during and after moderate earthquakes and to be able to
withstand large earthquakes without collapsing. Older bridges can be retrofitted to resist
earthquakes. Phase I retrofits are a low cost option aimed at keeping bridge beams from falling
off their supports; all of the Sellwood Bridge rehabilitation alternatives include this treatment.
Phase II retrofits are much more costly. They are intended to preserve the structure and protect
the investment from total collapse; this usually involves strengthening of the piers and foundations.
Phase II retrofit of the existing Sellwood Bridge is estimated at $28,125,000 in 2012 dollars.
No bridge crossing the Willamette River in Portland has received a Phase II retrofit due to lack
of funding. Phase II retrofit is an option that can be considered on all of the Sellwood Bridge
rehabilitation alternatives. Any new bridge would exceed Phase II retrofit capability for protection
of life and property in an earthquake.
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If a new bridge is chosen, what style of bridge would it be?
The style of a new
bridge would be identified in the preferred alternative selected in 2008. The bridge types
that are being studied in the draft environmental impact statement.
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How soon will TriMet buses be back on the bridge?
TriMet bus service across the bridge ended in June 2004 when weight limits were reduced to 10 tons.
A loaded TriMet bus weighs about 19 tons. A recent engineering study concluded it would cost
millions of dollars to strengthen the bridge enough to carry buses again. The County is focusing
limited resources on finding a long-term solution that will include transit on the bridge.
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The Sellwood Bridge provides the only crossing for a 12-mile stretch of the Willamette
River between Oregon City and Portland.
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