Rationale for Not Placing a Temporary Bridge for Bicyclists and Pedestrians across Stephens Creek Spring 2014 Background •

• • • • •

• • •

The project explored the option of a temporary bridge across the creek to create a connection between the path that extends from the south end of SW Miles Place to the Macadam Bay driveway. Construction has blocked access across the creek. The current route of the path follows the east sidewalk of SW Macadam Ave. between Macadam Bay to either SW Miles St. or SW Nevada St., where path users can access the trail north through Willamette Park (see map on next page). The bridge would need to be roughly 8 feet wide and 70 feet long. The bridge would cost roughly $70,000 to design, build, install, and restore the site around the creek. Installation and removal of the bridge would need permits and would need to follow environmental regulations for in-water work and impact to the environment. Bridge users would need to cross the construction haul road south of the temporary bridge, which presents safety challenges The current construction schedule calls for the new driveway to Macadam Bay to be built in summer 2015 and regional trail construction shortly after. There will be heavy construction in the area near Stephens Creek and the trail until the fall of 2015. With the current schedule, the temporary bridge would only be in use for three to six months and would require users to cross the construction haul road. Using the temporary bridge would require trail users to do some back-tracking north on the new Macadam Bay driveway to Freeman Motors to the southbound Greenway Trail. The temporary bridge would reduce about two blocks of the current sidewalk detour. In general, we try to minimize the number of new detours during construction, to reduce confusion among infrequent trail users.

Project Proposal: For the reasons explained above, the project team believes that installing a temporary trail bridge across Stephens Creek would have a benefit that does not justify its costs and risks. The project team proposes that the current path alignment along SW Macadam remain in use until the new regional trail opens between Willamette Park and the bridge in 2016. The Sellwood Bridge project team continues to look at ways to better accommodate nonmotorized use through the construction site. The project has made a number of improvements to the detour route, including removing vegetation, raising signs, and pouring an asphalt crossing at the trolley tracks near SW Nevada St. Improvements have also been made at the bike/ped crosswalks at the west end of the bridge and across Highway 43 into River View Cemetery. 1

6/5/2014

STEPHENS CREEK TEMPORARY BRIDGE

CURRENT WESTSIDE TRAIL DETOUR

2

6/5/2014