Preferred alternative wins federal approval

It’s been a big week for the Sellwood Bridge Project. After a planning effort that began in 2006, the federal government approved the preferred alternative to replace the Sellwood Bridge. The record of decision by the Federal Highway Administration marks the end of the project’s planning phase and the start of the design phase.


The first task in the design phase will be to select a structure type for the new bridge. A few days after the record of decision, members of the project’s Community Advisory Committee met to recommend a bridge structure type. The committee, which includes representatives of neighborhoods, businesses and bridge user groups, recommended a steel deck arch, which was also popular with citizens who took an online survey last summer.

This fall members of the citizen committee will present their recommendation to a committee of elected and appointed officials from jurisdictions with an interest in the Sellwood Bridge. The Public Stakeholder Committee will consider public input before recommending a structure type to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, who will make the final selection this fall. Construction is expected to begin in 2012.