The $4.7 million, three-year project to create three new bicycle and pedestrian bridges along the Springwater Corridor Trail is finally nearing completion.
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According to Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder‘s September newsletter, a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for October 19th. Organizers are still working out details, but save the date for this historic event!
The graphic below (Courtest of the Parks Department) shows where on the Springwater these bridges have been constructed:
The completion of these bridges means the only remaining gap in the Springwater Trail is the “missing link” known as the Sellwood Gap. This section, which is less than a mile long, is a Top 40 project for the BTA (as defined in their Blueprint for Better Biking).
According to the Parks Department, funding is in place for the Sellwood Gap to be completed as a rail-trail, “linking the south end of the Springwater on the Willamette with the west end of the Three Bridges trail segment.”
You can learn more on the official Three Bridges Project website.
*Photos taken from Portland Parks and Recreation.
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I remember being a part of the bike community’s efforts to push this back in 2001. I learned all about how “MTIP dollars” are allocated. This, plus better bike and ped access to the Morrison Bridge were the most overwhelmingly supported projects by the public, though the three bridges nearly lost out to some project out at the Nyberg Road Interchange on I-5. How sweet to finally see it come to fruition!
Is it actually open to ride yet, or do we have to wait till the 19th? And has that section of springwater east of the bridges that was closed for some sewer work reopened? I haven’t been down that way in months…
Even with the “Sellwood Gap” not figured out, the 3 Bridges completion is going to be BIG improvement over the current situation. Way to go Metro, Milwaukie and Portland, and to all the elected officials who vote to allocate funds to projects to like this.
I heard that Rod Monroe is going to be doing the ribbon cutting for the three bridges. Funny — seeing how he tried to deep six the whole thing at the last minute when he was a Metro Councilor. If it’s true that he’s going to be one of the “dignitaries”, I think they should reconsider his participation.
Dave – The section of the trail between 3 Bridges and Johnson Creek is still closed and isn’t scheduled to reopen until November. According to the BES website, that’s still the scheduled time, and I know as of 2 days ago the fencing was still in place on the Johnson Creek Rd side of that project.
Those bridges are quite beautiful!