MULTNOMAH COUNTY

the Winter 2016Sellwood Bridge We made it! New Sellwood Bridge opens Tuesday, March 1 The new Sellwood Bridge is for their patience during construction and their support for the long-awaited project. scheduled to open to traffic on Together, “we made it!” Tuesday, March 1 by 6 a.m. We hope many of you will join us at the “I am so excited,” said Multnomah County bridge opening celebration on Saturday, Chair Deborah Kafoury. “I share the February 27 from noon to 4 pm (see story on anticipation of all the bridge neighbors as back). this major project nears completion.” As the story inside this newsletter explains, The county’s biggest transportation project a lot of construction still remains after the in decades has faced many challenges, new bridge opens to traffic. Construction is including: scheduled to be complete by Thanksgiving ff Securing funds 2016. When it is, Portland will have its first bridge open to private ff Designing around an active landslide vehicles that is designed to withstand a ff Building a bridge very close Cascadia Zone subduction earthquake. to homes and businesses Multnomah County is the lead agency ff Keeping the bridge and Highway 43 for the Sellwood Bridge project. Partner open to traffic during construction agencies include the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Department of Bridge users, neighbors and all Multnomah Transportation and the Federal Highway County residents deserve a pat on the back Administration.

New bridge will include benches designed and built by local students The new Sellwood Bridge may be the first Cohen Associates, a community engagement bridge in the country to feature a permanent firm and sub-consultant to T.Y. Lin. element designed and built by high school The schools program worked with 12 local students. schools during the project’s design and The bridge will have four viewing platforms construction phases. Two thousand students over the river – called belvederes – where in grades 2 through 12 learned about the bicyclists and pedestrians project in classrooms, shop can pause to enjoy views classes, and in field trips to from the bridge. the bridge. The program Each belvedere will have a used the bridge project to semi-circular bench made provide lessons about civic of juniper wood and steel engagement, as well as designed and fabricated by the planning, design and local high school students. construction of a major The students attend the transportation project. ACE Academy (ACE = Students were exposed to a Architecture, Construction range of new careers. and Engineering), a The benches will be public charter school installed this spring. A drawing students from prototype will be on view five districts. ACE worked in one of the belvederes at

with Centennial High Students share the bench design with the February 27 opening School’s metal fabrication Multnomah County Commissioners. celebration. program. ACE is in Northeast Portland and Congratulations to these students who Centennial is in Gresham. worked on the benches: Rebecca Fast, Taylor Students in the two programs worked with Lehman, Jesse Martinez, Nate Porter, Kody staff from the design and engineering firm Thompson, and Ethan Wells from ACE T.Y. Lin International and Multnomah Academy. Centennial High School students County on the bench design. The benches are Jose Calderon, Braden Dukart, Aryan are a key element of the project’s school Niroumand, Kaleb Paschall, Seth Townsend, outreach program, which is led by Lois D. and Franky Villa.

www.sellwoodbridge.org Work remaining after March 1 bridge opening

While the March 1 opening of the new Sellwood Bridge to traffic marks a major milestone, a lot more Miscellaneous Bridge Work construction work is scheduled this year. Much of Macadam Bay Westside Trail From time to time, the contractor will be the remaining work could not be performed until Floating Home The westside trail from the bridge to Community is expected to open in working on the new bridge to complete the new bridge opens. April. The wide trail will follow the trolley various work, including punch list items. Here’s a look at remaining work before the project corridor and SW Miles Place. It will be a major improvement compared to is completed around Thanksgiving 2016. Schedules the old trail along the east side of busy are subject to change: Highway 43.

Public Art Installation Taylors Ferry at Highway 43 Turnaround Mikyoung Kim’s series of 23 sculptures The turnaround for bridge traffic to access Highway 43 Willamette River North Half of East Approach will be installed on the north and south sides south will be removed in August after the left turn from The north half of the east approach could of SE Tacoma St. between SE 6th Ave. and SE the bridge to Highway 43 south opens. not be built until the east end of the detour Grand Ave. in May (see story below). bridge was removed. The contractor will Macadam Bay/Freeman Motors Driveway Sellwood Removal of Detour Bridge Truss drill foundations for the north half of the The new driveway is open but an archaeological find Riverfront approach, build columns, install girders, The concrete features of the 90-year old has delayed completion of some elements. Work is Park deck and sidewalk. The north half will open Sellwood Bridge truss spans (deck, sidewalks expected to be completed in March/April. in October. Until then, the east approach and railings) will be removed in March and will have a narrow curving section with one April. The steel truss will be disassembled shared use sidewalk on the north side. Highway 43 Final Paving - Scheduled for August. and removed in May and June. Swales Bioswales to treat stormwater from Map Key Northbound Highway 43 Through Lane Removal of Detour Bridge Piers Under Bridge the bridge will be installed on the New bridge/street The piers and protective fenders will be east and west sides of the river from This lane is expected to open in May. removed from mid-June to late August. August to November. These areas

River View Existing street Cemetery The river piles can only be removed during are currently in the contractor’s the in-water work period this summer. Bike/pedestrian path staging area. SE Spokane St Detour bridge Work bridge Trolley New Sellwood Bridge SE Tacoma St Swale N Eastside Condominiums Tacoma & 6th Ave. Traffic Signal Removal of Work Bridges Restoration and improvements to The new signal should be activated in condo complexes on each side of the The timber decks will be removed this November, after final lane striping and east approach are scheduled from spring. Pile removal will happen during completion of the east approach. February through October. Areas of the the in-water work period starting in July. complexes were part of the project’s Left Turn from Sellwood Bridge to Highway 43 South work zone. This turn movement is expected to open in late August. It Powers South Sidewalk of New Bridge will eliminate the need for drivers to travel north and turn Marine The south sidewalk will open in around at Taylors Ferry. Park Highway 43 November because the section on the Stratum Public Art Project east approach cannot be built until the north half of the east approach opens The various components making up Kim, an award-winning international to traffic. the new public art for the Sellwood landscape architect and artist, and Bryan neighborhood are coming together. Chou, her artistic partner in the project, The footings are poured. The pavers are in. have completed projects from civic The sculpture fabrication is underway at gardens and municipal playgrounds to Art & Design Works in Cornelius. Expect a large scale parks and institutional master celebration this Spring of Mikyoung Kim’s plans. She was selected by a panel of Stratum, a public art project funded with local artists, community representatives City of Portland Percent for Art dollars. and project team members in May 2012. See more of her work at myk-d.com. Twenty-three 14-ft tall stainless steel sculptures inspired by the area’s geology will grace both sides of SE Tacoma St. between the bridge and SE 6th Ave., defining the street edge and acting as a gateway environment both into the Sellwood neighborhood and onto the new Sellwood Bridge. Color gradations on each of the sculpture’s surfaces will be skillfully applied by Art & Design Works. The richly patinaed surfaces are inspired by the geologic and natural phenomena of the Willamette River Valley. The end result will be a New Sellwood Bridge opens March 1 graduated blending of colors that convey warmth and naturalism.

Learn more at www.sellwoodbridge.org Goodbye to the old: Old Sellwood Bridge closes February 25

Old Bridge celebration: can walk across the 90-year old bridge and back again. The bridge will need to be one last time to say goodbye. Bring your cleared by 8:30 pm so that work to set up Thursday, February 25, flashlights, electric candles, and phone the new bridge for traffic can begin. 7:30-8:30 pm lights for this candlelight event. While the traffic shift to the new bridge On Thursday night February 25, fans of Participants should assemble on Grand is a significant milestone, bridge and the old Sellwood Bridge will have one last Avenue off of Spokane street (near the interchange work will continue through chance to say goodbye. The old bridge bridge's north sidewalk) no earlier than November of 2016 (see inside for details on will permanently close to traffic that day 7 pm. The procession starts at 7:30 pm. remaining work). at 7 pm. From 7:30 – 8:30 pm, residents We’ll have time to walk from east to west

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Sellwood Bridge Opening Event Saturday, February 27, Noon to 4 pm Read more inside or at www.sellwoodbridge.org

Hello to the new: New Sellwood Bridge opens to traffic March 1

Community celebration ceremony and ribbon cutting will start the designing, managing, and building the celebration around 1 pm, followed by the project: CH2M, Inc., David Evans and Saturday, February 27, “Through the Decades” parade. Associates, Inc., the Slayden-Sundt Joint noon to 4 pm Food carts, retail and non-profit booths Venture, and T.Y. Lin International. After years of construction, the Sellwood will be located on the bridge for the Special thanks to members of SMILE (the Bridge Project has reached a major party. There will be entertainment on Sellwood Moreland Improvement League) milestone - and you are invited to a the main stage and along the bridge, and and the Sellwood Westmoreland Business celebration! a few surprises. The first to arrive will Alliance for their support for the celebration. On Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 6 am, the receive a Sellwood Bridge lapel pin to new bridge will open to traffic so that commemorate the day. Due to limited contractors can begin to remove the detour parking, Sellwood neighbors are (old) bridge. The old bridge will close to all encouraged to walk or bike to modes of traffic (motor vehicles, bicyclists the event. Bicycle parking will and pedestrians) on Thursday, February 25 be provided at the east end of at 7 pm for four days while the contractor the bridge. Dress warm and sets up the new bridge for traffic. bring an umbrella! The community is invited to a celebration The bridge opening celebration on the new bridge on Saturday, February is generously sponsored by 27. The new bridge opens for the free, the four companies that have family-friendly event at noon. An opening been most involved with