Type: Steel Deck Arch
Built: 2013 - 2016
Length: 1976 ft., including main river spans and approaches
Width: 64 ft at narrowest point
Lanes: 2 at narrowest width
Traffic: 30,000 vehicles/day
The Sellwood Bridge is a steel deck arch structure, with three arches supporting the deck of the main river spans. It was built in 2013-2016, replacing the old bridge that stood for over 90 years.
The bridge is 1976 feet in total length, with the three main river spans adding up to 1275 feet. It is 64 feet wide at its narrowest point, with two travel lanes at the east end that widen to four lanes at the west end. The bridge has two 12-foot shared-use sidewalks, and two bike lanes that also serve as emergency shoulders.
The original Sellwood Bridge was intended as a local community connector, replacing the earlier Spokane Street Ferry. It became instead a primary connector for eastside residents to reach Interstate 5, downtown Portland and Washington County.
The new bridge is built to modern seismic standards. It is designed to survive the largest earthquake felt here in the last thousand years, and to need only moderate repairs after a smaller quake.
The bridge restored access for buses, which had been banned from the older bridge due to weight restrictions. The bridge was designed with the ability to carry a streetcar line in the future.
During construction, the main span of the old bridge -- 1100 feet long -- was physically lifted up and moved north. It was connected with temporary ramps and served as a detour bridge while the new one was being built.
The new Sellwood Bridge was designed by T.Y. Lin International. CH2M designed the project’s roads, retaining walls and stormwater facilities. Safdie Rabines was the project architect. The project was built by Slayden/Sundt, a joint venture of Slayden Construction Group and Sundt Construction.
