Objectives of the Capital Improvement Plan
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the current condition of the County’s six Willamette River bridges
- Provide a rational basis for identifying and prioritizing capital projects
- Establish criteria for determining priorities and selecting projects
- Provide opportunities for stakeholder/public input, including consultation with key partner agencies
- Conduct a seismic sufficiency evaluation
- Identify needs, projects and costs to maintain the bridges to identified performance standards
- Assess life cycle and maintenance needs for key mechanical, electrical and structural systems and paint
- Consider and compare programmatic rehabilitation costs versus replacement costs for the four oldest bridges
The Capital Improvement planning process embodies values that are important to Multnomah County, including safety, social justice, sustainability, emergency preparedness, community health and public input. The County is considering a number of performance attributes that are important to bridge functionality and community livability (see below). These will be used to help evaluate a range of options that will then be prioritized in order to maintain and improve the bridges over the next two decades.
- Movable Operations
- The drawbridges’ ability to maintain movable operations, including river and roadway traffic
- Regional Alignment
- How well the projects align with adjacent Partner Agency CIP projects and regional plans, including emergency preparedness plans
- Structural Integrity
- The structural condition of the bridges (using national bridge rating standards), including paint system ability to preserve the structural condition of the bridge
- Emergency Preparedness
- The bridges’ ability to resist seismic, flood and other emergency events
- Maintenance
- Overall durability, longevity and maintainability of structural and roadway surfaces and ease of maintenance; accessibility and safety considerations for maintenance personnel
- User Safety
- Multi-modal (including river traffic) safety on the facilities and approaches
- Livable Community
- How the improvement promotes a multi-modal community including the use of bicycles, transit, pedestrians (ADA compatibility) to encourage a more livable and healthy community
- Social Justice
- How the projects serve traditionally underserved (minority, low income, limited English proficiency, youth, elderly, disabled) communities
- Sustainability
- Long-term economic and environmental well-being of the community including preservation of the historic and iconic nature of the bridges
- Traffic Operations
- Safe, efficient operations of motor vehicles , freight mobility, and congestion reductions