Oak Grove – Lake Oswego Pedestrian / Bicycle Bridge Feasibility Study

Clackamas County is leading a study to determine if it might be feasible to build a pedestrian/bicycle bridge across the Willamette River between unincorporated Oak Grove and the City of Lake Oswego. Click on map for larger view.

If you are interested in learning more about this project, being on an email list for project updates and meeting notices, please let us know.

Meetings

Public Meetings

The Community Advisory Committee and Policy Committee identified evaluation criteria for possible bridge alignments and landing locations, and more than 500 people shared comments through an online survey. With that information, engineers have identified potential places where a bridge could cross the river, allow for boat clearance underneath, and begin and end on public property. Come learn about and comment on the options at an open house in Oak Grove, Lake Oswego or online. Public feedback will be taken into consideration as recommendations for the most feasible options are presented to the Milwaukie City Council, Lake Oswego City Council and Board of County Commissioners for action this fall.

Materials for Public Meetings

• Possible Bridge Alignments
• Comparison of Possible Bridge Alignments
• Regional Trails System Plan
• Possible Bridge Landing Sites
• Map of All 10 Potential Alignments

Community Advisory Committee Meetings

The Community Advisory Committee is made up of 28 members of the public representing Clackamas County, including representatives from Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, and Metro to represent community interests and regional bicycle, pedestrian and environmental groups. Three meetings will be held throughout the summer.

Policy Committee Meetings

The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) is made up of one elected official from each of the four jurisdictions involved with this project:

• Clackamas County:  Paul Savas, County Commissioner
• City of Lake Oswego:  Jackie Manz, City Councilor
• City of Milwaukie:  Mark Gamba, Mayor
• Metro:  Christine Lewis, Metro Councilor

The PAC will make recommendations to the partner governments at key decision points in the study after receiving information and recommendations from the Community Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee.  The PAC is expected to meet three times throughout the project.  The meetings are open to the public with an opportunity for public comment.

Planning

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify answers to the following questions:

1. Are there “landing locations” for the bridge with no impact or limited impact on private property?
2. Would it be possible to connect this bridge to existing pedestrian/bicycle trails while limiting impacts on private property?
3. How much would it cost to construct a pedestrian/bicycle bridge in this area?
4. What effects on the community and the environment should be studied if the project moves forward?
5. If the bridge is built, which government or group of governments would own and maintain it?

Timeline

March – November 2019

Cost

The cost of the study is estimated to be $306,000. It is being paid for with a grant from the Metro Active Transportation Development Fund and in-kind contributions from Clackamas County.

Partners

Clackamas County is taking the lead on the study, but will be working with the following jurisdictions:

• City of Lake Oswego
• City of Milwaukie
• Metro
• North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District

Tasks

• Analyze Alternative Bridge Locations – Identify and assess possible bridge locations, and conduct an engineering analysis of possible bridge concepts and issues that would arise in connecting the bridge to existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
• Develop Planning Cost Estimate and Funding Plan – Estimate planning level cost to develop a bridge and long-term costs to maintain the bridge; develop a plan to identify funding sources.
• Identify Required Environmental Scoping – Though the study will not include environmental assessment or data collection, there will be an environmental scoping workshop to determine environmental issues and permitting requirements that would need to be addressed. This will help potential project partners understand what would be required and how those requirements would impact project schedule and costs.
• Identify Intergovernmental Partners – Clackamas County anticipates that if this bridge project does move forward, it would be advanced by a group of local and regional government partners. This task will find the most appropriate group of partners that are open to participation.
• Public Involvement – The extensive public involvement process will include public meetings, a community advisory committee, website and social media, and webinar-type public meetings to reach different segments of the population. The county will also conduct an Environmental Justice/Equitable Development Analysis to identify historically marginalized communities for focused outreach and possible displacement impacts.

Possible Next Steps

The study is expected to be concluded by the end of 2019. At that time the partner governments (Clackamas County, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District, and Metro) will determine if the project is feasible and if funding is available to continue moving the project forward. If the answer to both questions is yes, then the project will move into design and environmental studies, with additional public outreach.