The city of Portland, Oregon, in the western USA has approved a design for a replacement bridge that will be key to the city’s seismic resilience.
The present Burnside Bridge, completed in 1926, is a bascule bridge over the Willamette River. Portland Oregon has no bridges that could withstand a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
A rendering of the approved design for the replacement to Burnside bridge in Portland, Oregon. Credit: Multnomah County
The board of Multnomah County worked with community members to select a cable-stayed design with one inverted Y tower on the east side. The option developed by lead designer Beam Architects represented lower long-term maintenance costs. The tower is intended to act as a visual icon in the event that the community becomes unrecognisable after an earthquake.
The construction work will be carried out by a joint venture of three construction firms: Stacy and Witbeck, Traylor Bros and American Bridge (link opens in new tab). The replacement is part of the Earthquake-Ready Burnside Bridge project, which begun in 2016.
