The Oregon Department of Transportation has just released visualizations of potential alignments for a new carfree bridge across the Willamette River that would connect Oregon City and West Linn.
As we’ve shared since planning began last fall, ODOT wants to get a plan in place in advance of federal funding opportunities. ODOT also understands that a new bridge for bikers, walkers, and mobility device users will help cities on both sides of the river capitalize on future demand given the myriad tourism, real estate, and transportation infrastructure developments planned for the area.
Advertisement
The Oregon City-West Linn Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge Concept Plan online open house is available now in English and Spanish and will stay open through April 13th. There’s also a survey to gauge public interest in the project overall and to help ODOT choose one of five alignments.
The alignment alternatives (above) include three options south of the existing Oregon City-West Linn Arch Bridge and two north of it. These five were selected from 15 that were screened by project consultants and previous public outreach.
The two options furthest south — alignments 1c and 2b — require switchback ramps and/or elevators to make up elevation gain/loss. Alignment 4a would be build adjacent to the existing bridge and mimic its style. Alignments 6 and 7b are between the existing historic bridge and the I-205 Abernethy Bridge.
ODOT’s current evaluation of the alignments favors 6 and 7b. They score the best for ease-of-use, design feasibility, equity, and are expected to perform best based on expected future demand.
ODOT will use feedback from this survey to inform their recommendation of a preferred alignment to the Oregon City Commission and West Linn City Council. If/when (at last check some Oregon City leaders were vehemently opposed to the bridge) a recommendation is adopted, the project will be added to the respective Transportation System Plans and take its place in the funding queue.
Make sure your voice is heard before the survey closes on April 13th. Find links to the survey and online open house at the official project page.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
— Get our headlines delivered to your inbox.
— Support this independent community media outlet with a one-time contribution or monthly subscription.