T4 America to hold rally at Sellwood Bridge

The national transportation advocacy group, Transportation for America will hold a rally at the Sellwood Bridge this Wednesday.

See the media advisory below….

CONTACT:
Chris Rall, 971-230-4745
chris.rall@t4america.org

Media Advisory:
Rally for Jobs and Infrastructure Repair at Sellwood Bridge

WHAT: Labor and consumer rights leaders will speak about the need to put people to work repairing America’s 70,000 structurally deficient bridges. They’ll discuss the need to keep our transportation infrastructure functioning properly so we stay economically competitive. The Sellwood Bridge is the backdrop for this stand-up media event on Wednesday, October 19 at 11:00 am. The event will include a tour of some of the bridge’s structurally deficient features.

A report ranking Portland’s bridges against the rest of the nation’s metropolitan regions will be released the same day. An embargoed copy of the report is available upon request.

WHY: President Obama’s recent speech at the Brent Spence Bridge in Ohio, and the shutdown of the structurally deficient Sherman Minton Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky put bridge repair in the national news spotlight. The structurally deficient Sellwood Bridge, which awaits federal funding to cover the remaining 8% of its replacement cost, brings this issue home to Portland.

VISUALS: Structural deficiencies of the Sellwood Bridge include leaning columns, steel plates bolted in place to reinforce weakened cracking beams, railing columns wrapped with cellophane to prevent falling debris, and a landslide affecting the bridge’s footings. There will also be hardhat-wearing union construction workers attending the stand-up speaking event.

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 19.

WHO: John Mohlis – Executive Secretary, Oregon Building and Construction Trades Council
Dave Rosenfeld – Executive Director, OSPIRG

WHERE: West end of the Sellwood Bridge.
Park in the Staff Jennings upper parking lot just north of the west end of the bridge on the east side of Macadam Ave. / Hwy 43. Then walk down the driveway. The event will take place under the bridge.