New Sellwood Bridge to open on March 1

Multnomah County plans to open the new Sellwood Bridge to traffic on March 1.

The old bridge, which has been serving as a detour across the Willamette River, will close to all traffic for four days beginning on Feb. 25. The closure will allow the contractor to begin dismantling the old bridge ahead of the opening.

A community celebration is planned on the new bridge from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27. More event details will be announced in the coming weeks.

As of late 2015, the project cost is estimated to be in the $317.5 million range. The total cost will not be known until all work is completed and all bills are settled and paid. The contract calls for work to be completed by the end of November 2016.

The original cost estimate when construction began in 2012 was $307.5 million. Cost include the new bridge, an interchange where the bridge connects with Highway 43, right-of-way, design, and mitigating impacts to protected resources. The funding plan includes the following sources:

For more information on the project, visit www.sellwoodbridge.org.