Multnomah County, Oregon chose its construction team for the $895 million Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project in Portland, which will replace the nearly century-old span and key emergency route that crosses the Willamette River in the heart of the city.
The county selected Burnside Bridge Partners JV, a consortium of Alameda, California-based Stacy and Witbeck; Evansville, Indiana-based Traylor Bros.; and Pittsburgh-based American Bridge as the general contractor on the project, the county confirmed to Construction Dive.
Multnomah County also tapped Omaha, Nebraska-based engineering firm HDR as the prime consultant to perform final design services, the designer announced Oct. 17.
The new, 2,200-foot-long bridge will feature a movable bascule span that will allow river traffic to pass beneath with unlimited clearance, according to the release. It will also include four lanes, a combined bicycle path and pedestrian space, and will be designed to accommodate future Portland Streetcar loads.
However, the project also faces challenges — in addition to the river, it crosses nine interstate lanes, two railroad tracks, two light rail lines and multiple community amenities, per the release.
The bridge is Multnomah County’s only non-freeway river crossing designated for use in an emergency, HDR said. With that in mind, the engineering firm will employ stringent seismic design criteria to ensure the bridge is functional during and after a Magnitude 8+ Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
Burnside Bridge Partners and HDR will build the project through the construction manager/general contractor method.
The bridge is currently in the design phase — Multnomah County plans to start demolition and construction in mid-2026, and plans to open the bridge in spring 2031, according to a county spokesperson.