A project that will build a carfree bridge over Columbia Boulevard in north Portland is officially back on track. The project is a vital link in the North Portland Greenway Trail and the 40-Mile Loop and it will connect St. Johns neighborhoods with existing paths in and around Kelley Point Park.
Portland Parks and Recreation says they’ve restarted the design and public outreach process after previous setbacks resulted in a pause on the project. The initial process to design the bridge kicked off in 2019, but a budget snafu emerged in 2023 which forced Parks to put the project on the shelf. That delay led to widespread disappointment and frustration.
Last year I reported that Parks remained committed to the project. Now we know they’ve kept their promise.
Parks, working with Metro and the Oregon Department of Transportation, has lined up additional funding to see the project through. Estimated to cost $11-$15 million, Parks is using a $2.7 million grant from Metro to continue designing the project and will host an open house on July 16th. According to a spokesperson, Parks is also in the final stages of accepting an additional, $6 million grant from ODOT’s Oregon Community Paths program.
The bridge will go up and over Columbia Blvd (an ODOT-owned freight corridor) between Chimney Park and what used to be the St. Johns Landfill. Thanks to Metro, the landfill has been restored into prairie land. Northeast of Chimney Park, the path will run along the Columbia Slough toward Kelley Point Park. (A related project to complete the final, 1.3-mile gap between Chimney Park and Kelley Point is already in the works. The North Slough Bridge project (see below) is estimated to cost $14 million and would build another bridge over the Columbia Slough and renovate an existing path alignment that’s been effectively closed for years due to flood damage.)
According to Parks, the Bridge Over Columbia project is in 60% design phase and a public survey seeking feedback on the design will be released on July 17th.
If you’d like to learn more, join a bike ride from downtown Portland to the July 16th open house. Parks staff will share updated design drawings and the project team will be available for questions.
Final design is scheduled for completion in late 2026, with an anticipated two-season construction schedule (due to steel procurement) pushing the completion date to 2028.
Learn more at the official project website.
