Read the latest press release on the project here.
On January 23 at the Oregon Zoo, nearly 50 people attended a public information meeting about the Barbara Walker Footbridge Over Burnside construction project. Attendees included representatives from key partners including Portland Parks Foundation, Portland Parks & Recreation, R & H Construction, Ian Walker, son of the late Barbara Walker, Charlie Swindells, and other members of the citizen steering committee. Speakers included Randy Gragg, the foundation’s new Executive Director; Robin Johnson Craig, Capital Project Manager at PP&R; and R & H Construction’s Kraig O’Connor and Shane Bliss.
The presentation included a history of the project, as well as connections between the Footbridge project and Barbara Walker’s important contributions to Portland parks and trails. Community members and government identified the need for a bridge for the Wildwood Trail decades ago. With Portland Parks Foundation as the lead partner, the project represents a unique and important public-private partnership to make the bridge a reality, with two-thirds of the funding coming from private donations. The footbridge was designed by award-winning artist and long-time Oregonian Ed Carpenter.
The team also shared high-level updates on the construction plan. The Footbridge project has been designed to be completed with as little impact as possible. The main structure will be fabricated off-site then lifted into place, reducing construction time. The Wildwood Trail will be closed for the duration of construction. West Burnside will have occasional lane closures for onsite work and will be closed entirely for 1-2 days in August when the bridge span is lifted into place. Other impacts will include removal of trees, a powerline relocation, and, for safety, decommissioning of the trail spurs between the footbridge and Burnside and the gravel turn-out on the south side of Burnside. Construction is scheduled to begin in late March with a targeted completion date of mid-September.
Here’s how to stay connected to the Barbara Walker Footbridge project:
About the project:
Website: www.portlandpf.org
Footbridge email list: sign up here
Twitter: @PDXParksFound
Facebook: PortlandParksFoundation
About traffic closures:
Twitter: @PBOTinfo
Facebook: PBOTinfo
Email updates: sign up here