French Prairie Bridge Project City Council to Consider Bridge Location June 4

May 21, 2018 - The Wilsonville City Council will consider the French Prairie Bridge Task Force preferred bridge location recommendation at a public hearing on June 4. The project team will provide the Council with a summary of the process to determine the preferred bridge location during the City Council meeting regular session beginning at 7 pm. The City Council is expected to approve a resolution identifying the preferred bridge location.

French Prairie Bridge Project
City Council Public Hearing
Monday, June 4, 7 pm
Wilsonville City Hall
29799 SW Town Center Loop E

Interested community members are welcome to attend the public hearing and listen to City Council deliberation. A time for public comment is included as part of the discussion.

TASK FORCE BRIDGE LOCATION RECOMMENDATION

The French Prairie Bridge Task force, an appointed citizen body charged with helping guide the French Prairie Bridge Project, unanimously recommended Alignment “W1” as the preferred bridge location on April 12.

Bridge Alignment W1 is located adjacent to the Portland and Western Railroad facility at the far west edge of the project area. The north end of the path connects to the west shoulder of SW Bones Ferry road in Boones Ferry Park. The south end of the path connects to NE Butteville Road opposite the Boones Ferry Boat Launch parking lot. A summary of the preferred bridge location selection is provided here .

In making their recommendation, Task Force members considered community comment as well as scoring results of the three alternatives from the Technical Advisory Committee. The Technical Advisory Committee is made up of representatives from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Clackamas County, Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management, natural resources and other state and local agencies.

Task Force members also urged the City and their partners to develop a parking strategy for bridge use as an implementation action, taking into consideration ways to minimize negative impact on neighbors. They also recommended focusing on safety, and the connections to the bridge from the south, as well as the north.

Bridge Location Selection Summary

FOCUS OF THE STUDY

The French Prairie Bridge Project aims to address the following questions:

– Where are the preferred landing points for the bridge?
– What is the preferred bridge type?
– What is the estimated cost of the preferred bridge and how might its construction be funded?

Members will reconvene in the Fall to help host a community open house on bridge types. From that meeting, two bridge options will be selected. After further consideration by the technical and community advisory committees, the Task force will recommend a final bridge type to the City Council.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS
Based on precedent work to date on the City’s Transportation and Community-wide Vision, City staff are leading this planning effort to bring several advantages, including:

– Recreational value
– Safety
– Economic development
– Emergency access

Stay Involved!