A city that would have no functional bridges in the aftermath of a major earthquake is one step closer to earthquake resilience because it has secured US$20 million state lottery funding towards the US$895 million required.
The authorities of Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, are working towards replacing Burnside Bridge, a bascule bridge over the Willamette River. The city lies on the Cascadia subduction zone and experiences large earthquakes.
A study by HDR (link opens in new tab), the design phase consultant, in 2017 confirmed the need to replace the 1926-built bridge. The project is in the environmental review phase, and the plans have been refined with cost-savings in mind. The approved design has a westside girder approach and will be of reduced width. Multnomah County has committed US$300 million, and is pursuing more grants at a federal and national level, including a grant from US Department of Transport for US$447 million.
Discover more about the project, including a simulation of what might happen to the bridge during an earthquake: Multnomah County Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge (link opens in new tab).
