Task force: Quake-proof Burnside Bridge should be ‘long span’

The Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge task force looked at four types of bridges and has chosen the long span alternative for the replacement bridge.

PORTLAND, Ore. — In the interest of making the upcoming Burnside Bridge replacement resilient to a major earthquake, a task force on Monday recommended moving forward with a long span bridge alternative.

The recommendation came after 18 months of work. The task force and a Multnomah County project team have met 16 times to discuss alternatives for the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project.

The long span bridge would replace the existing bridge in the same location and alignment, said Multnomah County spokesperson Mike Pullen. 

“The long span alternative has the fewest support columns of four alternatives that were studied,” Pullen explained. “Fewer columns avoids costly construction in geotechnical hazard zones near the Willamette River, and restricted spaces between lanes of Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the east side.” 

Fact sheet: Understanding the long span bridge alternative

The reasons task force members chose the long span alternative include:

Locating fewer columns in liquefiable soils gives it the least risk from soil movement during an earthquakeIt is the lowest cost of four build alternatives ($825 million compared to as high as $950 million for the most expensive option)The reduced number of columns also benefits Waterfront Park users, crime prevention, and preservation of the Burnside SkateparkAdditional deck width over the river provides a safer facility for bicyclists, pedestrians and other usersReduced impacts to natural resources due to fewer columns in the river

Pullen said the task force is still working on options to mitigate the long span’s impacts on views, because a superstructure will be required above the bridge deck to support the longer horizontal span. 

“Questions of the structure’s scale and relation to adjacent neighborhoods will be dealt with in the Bridge Type Selection phase which begins this fall, and during final design,” Pullen said. 

Watch: Simulation of Burnside Bridge collapse following earthquake

The project should not include a temporary bridge during construction, the task force decided. That temporary bridge would carry less than half of existing Burnside Bridge traffic and would cost about $90 million. It would also add two years of construction time to the project.

The public will get to weigh in on the task force recommendations through an open house and survey in August. A policy group of elected and appointed leaders will vote on the preferred alternative in October.

If the long span option is chosen, a bridge type with a superstructure above the bridge deck will be necessary. Options would include a tied arch, like the Fremont Bridge, or a cable-stayed structure, like the Tilikum Crossing.

The bridge type selection should be complete in 2021. Design work will stretch from 2021-2024, and then with construction should begin in 2024. Building the new bridge should take about 4-1/2 years.

The task force also studied three other build alternatives: an enhanced seismic retrofit of the existing bridge, a replacement movable bridge on the same alignment with short spans and a replacement movable bridge with an extension of Northeast Couch Street.

Last summer, a group of Portland State University Master of Architecture students got a chance tor reimagine what the bridge would look like.

RELATED: What could a new Burnside Bridge look like? PSU students pitch creative ideas to county leaders

Pullen said task force members represent neighborhoods, business districts, and interests including auto commuters, transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists and social service agencies. He said bridge history and input from organizations based near the bridge are also take into account.

Watch: County plans to quake-proof Burnside Bridge (June 2019)

RELATED: 10,000-seat Live Nation amphitheater proposed in Portland’s South Waterfront

RELATED: Money for interstate bridge included in Washington state budget

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos