Yes, it’s open! And here’s 2014’s Update
If there were just one thought we could convey to sum up 2014 in the life of the Sellwood Bridge, it would be this…
THE BRIDGE IS OPEN!
It will stay OPEN throughout construction except for BRIEF, ANNOUNCED closures (and you can count on us to keep you posted on those).
After almost 3 years of construction, we still occasionally have clients who ask when the Bridge will be open again, but it’s open NOW. Construction is projected to be complete in 2016, but it’s OPEN IN THE MEANTIME. There are delays from the flaggers, but these are brief and intermittent. If you plan to visit the shop, please believe us that the construction is only minimally inconvenient.
But here’s a little more detail from a November 25, 2014 Portland Tribune article as 2015 begins…
- Although the Bridge was scheduled to open in the Fall of 2015, the date has been pushed off until early 2016.
- Schedule delays were caused by unexpectedly hard rock, a redesign of the retaining walls on the west side cliffs, and delays from the steel fabricators.
- The total budget of the Bridge project was $307.5 million, and that is still the budget. There is a contingency fund that is being drawn down, but for now it’s holding.
(NOTE: On the day we were writing this article, an Oregonian article came out that overturns the budget info in the Tribune article. We’ll bring you more information on that in next month’s Update.)
As we enter 2015, the new bridge will really begin to take shape. All the old supports are gone and the new supports are in, so the arches are coming in. Here’s a picture from Powers Marine Park of the first arches going into place…
But for our Year-In-Review issue, nothing beats this series of aerial photographs showing the entire construction process for the past 12 months…
As a reminder, Multnomah County maintains the definitive website on everything related to the Sellwood Bridge Replacement project, www.sellwoodbridge.org. Construction and closure alerts, archived information, and other resources are all available 24/7 for your convenience. If you’re looking for something that’s not on the website, you can contact Mike Pullen (mike.j.pullen@multco.us, 503-209-4111) or visit www.sellwoodbridge.org.
