Local vehicle fee will help fund new Sellwood Bridge

On October 22 the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a vehicle registration fee to help fund the replacement of the Sellwood Bridge.

A replacement bridge is expected to cost $330 million. The new annual vehicle fee of $19 will raise $127 million. Funds for the rest of the project’s cost are expected to come from the federal government, the state of Oregon, the city of Portland, and Clackamas County.

County residents will pay the fee to the state Department of Motor Vehicles when they renew their state vehicle registration. The DMV predicts Multnomah County residents will begin receiving notices to pay the fee in the fall of 2010. Some time is needed to create a customized billing system for county vehicle owners.

The Sellwood Bridge is the busiest two-lane bridge in Oregon, but it has serious structural and design problems. Trucks and buses cannot use the bridge due to its 10-ton weight limit. The new bridge, slated to open in 2016, will be better able to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles.