Oregon Infrastructure

The Oregon Department of Transportation's $500 million package from the state Legislature last year has been a mixed blessing.

At a time when most state agencies are scrambling for funding, ODOT is grateful for the money to pay for road and bridge fixes that are long overdue. At the same time, the department has been charged with completing twice as much construction without adding any administrative staff, spokesman Jay Remy said.

"We normally get about $250 million for our total highway construction budget, so it's the biggest funding boost we've had in the last decade," Remy said. "It's a big increase in our budget, so we've made some major changes in our project management program."

An estimated 400 bridges on freight routes throughout Oregon need to be repaired within the next six years to accommodate heavy trucks, thereby improving freight movement of agricultural, mineral and other products through the state and protecting one of Oregon's key economic sectors.

"The overall state economy will lose in a big way if we don't get this work done," Remy said. "We're talking about millions of dollars and thousands of jobs, in rural communities particularly. It's all about jobs and income at this point."

In order to complete those projects, ODOT has incorporated design-build contracts much more than in the past. The agency also has developed a new Alternative Delivery Unit dedicated to projects that are completely outsourced.

"Traditionally, ODOT would design a project and then outsource its construction. With this new unit, we can completely outsource a project," Remy said. "A lot of lessons we're learning now can be applied to the next funding package we hope to receive from the Legislature this session."

ODOT is also exploring a project management option that would allow it to bundle bridge projects into packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars rather than doing them one at a time.

Oregon construction companies have expressed concern that the plan would prevent them from bidding on the projects if the contractor isn't large enough to secure the bonding necessary to win the contracts. However, ODOT officials said the plan would make the repair process more efficient and cost-effective, especially when it comes to dealing with permits related to water-quality issues, migratory birds and other environmental concerns.

However, ODOT officials said the plan would make the repair process more efficient and cost-effective, especially when it comes to dealing with permits related to water-quality issues, migratory birds and other environmental concerns.

Those projects include:

St. Johns Bridge Rehabilitation

Portland's eye-catching St. Johns Bridge has the distinction of being the only suspension bridge in the Oregon highway system. Image courtesy of Christie Holmgren

Perhaps one of ODOT's most highly visible projects, the $33 million effort to rehabilitate the 70-year-old St. Johns Bridge is expected to be completed in late 2005.

Max J. Kuney Co. of Spokane, Wash., is the lead contractor on the project, which includes replacing the St. Johns' concrete deck and sidewalks, upgrading drainage and lighting systems, repairing suspension cables and painting the bridge.

"The difficulty is how to keep the bridge open while you're fixing it. It's a four-lane roadway so they're literally closing a lane at a time," said Dave Thompson, another ODOT spokesman.

The bridge has been closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. since work began in March, but a full closure of the span has been delayed several times. With an estimated 23,000 vehicles using the bridge each day - along with bicyclists and walkers - ODOT was reluctant to close the bridge completely.

"We really didn't want to close the bridge and we tried really hard not to do that, but we just couldn't keep it open and still protect the safety of the workers," Thompson said.

The seven-week closure will begin July 8 and is timed so the span will be open for the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. To ensure the closure doesn't last any longer than necessary, ODOT included a contractual element for the contractor.

"The incentive/disincentive calls for $20,000 a day," Thompson said. "If they go over they pay us, and if they come under we pay them."

ODOT also used a special contracting method called "A plus C bidding," or best value contracting. With this method, the contractor specifies a dollar bid amount for the work, the "A" component, and also completes a form measuring technical qualifications, the "C" component. ODOT used the method once before in a 1997 project with favorable results.

ODOT's innovative management of the project also includes some creative supply scheduling.

"The staging of the work is really choreography," Thompson said. "There's no storage, so we've needed amazing amounts of lead time when it comes to materials."

In addition, the bridge's historic status limits the alterations that can be made to the 3/4-mi. span during the rehabilitation.
"It's the only suspension bridge in the state's highway system and it's a historic structure, and you can't just change the architectural structure," Thompson said.

Sunnybrook Interchange

This $23 million project, which began in August 2001 and includes building a new interchange over Interstate 205 at Sunnybrook Boulevard, ran into controversy and ultimately was rebid.

ODOT rebid the project in two pieces. Wildish Standard Paving of Eugene, Ore., constructed the Mt. Scott Creek culvert extension. Hamilton Construction Co. of Springfield, Ore., is building the remaining, larger portion of the project, which involves a reconfiguration of interstate exit and entrance ramps; the construction of frontage roads, a retaining wall and sound wall; and the reconstruction of bike and pedestrian paths.

The six-lane interchange project, scheduled for completion in late November, is designed to improve traffic and reduce congestion on Sunnyside Road by redirecting and dispersing traffic loads. In addition, the project will connect the Sunnybrook Boulevard east and west extension roadway improvements.

ODOT project manager Marge West said the culvert extension added a unique element to the project.

"In an effort to improve that site for the contractor, ODOT actually went out and purchased the culvert through the state's maintenance division so we'd have the materials ready for the contractor," West said.

The scope of work means many components of the project are taking place simultaneously.

"We have congestion with the construction itself as far as equipment and people sometimes working in the same area," West added. "We've really worked to coordinate that effort so everyone stays safe and construction stays on schedule."

Patterson Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation

Rehabilitating the Patterson Bridge required a work structure and mitigation of debris build-up in the Rogue River. Image courtesy of ODOT

Built in 1931 for $653,000, the Patterson Bridge spans the Rogue River north of Gold Beach on Oregon's coast. At the time of its construction, it was the longest structure between San Francisco and the Columbia River.

The 1,932-ft. span was designated as a national Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1982.

Hamilton Construction is leading the $18.4 million effort to rehabilitate the bridge. The process involves protection work that will increase the span's life. The bridge's railing also will be replaced to meet current safety standards.

As the project progressed last fall, Gold Beach residents met with ODOT officials to discuss concerns about woody debris accumulating around the bridge during high water periods.

"Last winter, we made adjustments to our project to keep the flood channel unobstructed during flood season," said ODOT project manager Ray Cranston. "We worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Curry County emergency response coordinator to develop an emergency response plan."

Hamilton began the work in spring 2002 and is expected to finish in December 2005.

Ford's Bridge Replacement

An emergency repair on this bridge just 2 mi. south of Canyonville, Ore., on Interstate 5 ignited a major statewide study on the "Riddle effect" a bridge closure can have on small communities.

The nearby town of Riddle served as the bypass for large trucks while fatigue cracks in the Ford's Bridge were fixed in March 2001. Though the bridge was closed for just 20 days while the repairs took place, the incident and resulting detour affected commercial trucking operations along the entire West Coast and disrupted residents of Riddle and Canyonville. Construction is now underway on a pair of parallel spans that will replace the Ford's Bridge, and the west span ultimately will handle southbound I-5 traffic. Traffic will be moved to the new bridge when demolition begins on the old structure.

"The combination of steel girder construction, which is unusual to this area, and the challenge of the in-water work periods have made this an exciting project," said ODOT project panager Jeff Payne.

"We've got until Sept. 15 to place 40- by 40-ft. footings in the south fork of the Umpqua River and the span of the structure is nearly 200 meters.

Booth Ranch Bridge

Construction continues on the new northbound Booth Ranch Bridge on I-5 about 12 mi. south of Roseburg. The Booth Ranch Bridge replacement is part of ODOT's Vets to Myrtle Creek project.

Ross Brothers of Salem began the $13.5 million project in July 2002 and is expected to complete the work in August.

Broadway Bridge

Though Multnomah County owns this project rather than ODOT, the rehabilitation of the Broadway Bridge in downtown Portland is one of the state's most prominent projects. At $27.5 million, it also is the largest capital construction project in the county's history.

Mowat Construction Co. of Woodinville, Wash., began work in February to replace the bridge's grated lift-span deck with a fiber-reinforced polymer surface designed to improve safety for motorists.

"The open-steel grating can cause accidents in freezing temperatures, and it's a slicker surface for cars when it rains after it hasn't rained in a while," said county spokesman Michael Pullen. "It will be a safety improvement when it's replaced."

The project also involves repairing the eastside lift span, rehabilitating the roadway deck, painting a large portion of the bridge and upgrading the electrical system that operates the lift span.

"It cost $1.6 million to build the bridge in 1912, and if we were to build the bridge today it would cost about $166 million," Pullen added. "The work we're doing extends the life of the bridge another 50 years."

The bridge will be closed for just 60 days of the two-year project, with the closure scheduled for summer 2004.

In addition, work hours have been limited to keep from disturbing nearby residents during the early morning or evening hours.

"We're taking special measures not to disrupt our neighbors too much," and meters have been placed on a nearby building to measure sound and air quality during construction, Pullen said.

Portland's David Evans & Associates was the design engineer on the project. Abhe & Svoboda of Minnesota, which painted the nearby Hawthorne Bridge, will repaint the Broadway Bridge the same distinctive red that has made it unique.

However, only 68 percent of the bridge will be repainted as part of the project. The remaining 32 percent will have to wait until more money is available, Pullen said.

The project is due for completion in November 2004.