The Oregon Legislature adjourned last week without reinstating funds for the scheme, which has been worked on for decade. The legislature in Washington, at the other end of the proposed bridge, had blocked a funding package for the project last year.
Project records covering a decade of work will be archived in case the scheme is resurrected in future.
Oregon Department of Transportation director Matthew Garrett said: “We have the fiduciary responsibility to close out the project in a systematic, retrievable manner in order to adequately preserve a decade of research, environmental reviews, community involvement, and detailed engineering work for potential future use.”
No further design work will take place and ‘stop work’ orders will be issued on consultant contracts by 15 March, instructions to catalogue and archive current work.
The replacement I-5 bridge was to be made from two two-level deck truss structures carrying a total of 10 traffic lanes on the upper decks. The lower decks would carry light rail and a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists.
