Multnomah County, Oregon, has chosen 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, Calif.-based Stacy and Witbeck; Evansville, Ind.-based Traylor Bros.; and Pittsburgh-based American Bridge as the project’s general contractor, the county confirmed to Construction Dive.
Multnomah County also used HDR Engineering Firm of Omaha, Nebraska as the lead consultant to perform the final design services, the designer. announced on October 17.
The new 2,200-foot-long bridge will feature a movable tilting span that will allow river traffic to pass underneath with an unlimited distance, according to the release. It will also include four lanes, a combined bike lane 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 services, according to the release.
The bridge is the only non-freeway river crossing in Multnomah County designated for emergency use, HDR said. With this in mind, the engineering firm will use strict 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 construct the project using the construction manager/general contractor method.
The bridge is currently in the design phase: Multnomah County plans to begin demolition and construction in mid-2026 and plans to open the bridge in the spring of 2031, according to a county spokesman.
