April 20, 2018

The public is invited to the third meeting of the Policy Group for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge study on Thursday, April 26 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the Multnomah Building, first floor Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. The agenda includes time for public comment.

Multnomah County is conducting a feasibility study that will be completed in the fall of 2018. The study is examining options to create a resilient lifeline crossing over the Willamette River in the event of a major earthquake. Providing a way to get across the Willamette River after an earthquake will be critical for emergency response, reuniting families, and helping our community recover.

The Policy Group includes agency leaders and elected officials who will review the feasibility study findings. Members will provide their agency’s or constituents’ perspectives through development of project alternatives and evaluation criteria. Members include elected officials from Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County, the cities of Portland, Gresham and Beaverton, Metro, the Oregon legislature, staff from Oregon’s congressional delegation, and officials from the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet, Prosper Portland and Federal Highway Administration. Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson co-chair the Policy Group.

The group’s input will advise the project team as they work through the process of narrowing a long list of Willamette River crossing concepts to a shorter list of alternatives that will be studied next during the National Environmental Policy Act phase of the project.

The meeting agenda includes:

  • A project update and milestones review
  • Review of the options evaluation
  • Next steps
  • Public comment

There are several transit options near the Multnomah Building, including Portland Streetcar (PSU via Pearl), Stop ID: 13616 and TriMet buses #6, 4, 10, 14, 15, Stop ID: 3633, 2643.

For more information, visit www.burnsidebridge.org. Meeting materials will be posted to the website after the meeting.