Monthly Archive for July, 2009

Architectural lights on the Morrison Bridge will shine red, white and green three weeks aog to welcome the nation’s largest gathering of Alfa Romeo sports car enthusiasts to the Portland area. The lighting display is the first under a new program that allows citizens and organizations to request specific colors of the Morrison Bridge lights for special events.

In 2007 a privately funded effort led to the installation of LED (light emitting diode) lights on the Morrison Bridge main river piers that can be programmed in a wide array of colors. The energy-efficient lights were designed by the non-profit Willamette Light Brigade and largely funded by a contribution from Pacific Power. They are powered by renewable energy.

Since the lights were installed, Multnomah County has received requests for special lighting displays to honor winning sports teams, community events and even a wedding. In order to defray the cost of programming the special displays and fund the maintenance and operation of the lights, the County has contracted with Willamette Light Brigade to administer a special lighting application program that is open to anyone.

Applicants can request a static or moving display using up to eight colors. Fees range from $100 for a one day static display to $850 for a moving display that lasts for two weeks.

The first applicant under the new program is Ed Slavin, a local business owner and member of the Light Brigade. Ed is also a proud owner of an Alfa Romeo. He requested a lighting display that reflected the logo of his favorite sports car during a week when hundreds of Alfa Romeo fans will gather in Portland for a national convention. “It’s a cool way to celebrate and welcome our visitors,” Ed said.

Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury encouraged the Light Brigade to develop the new application program. “The volunteers in the Light Brigade have worked for years to add architectural lights to several county bridges and have plans to light more,” said Commissioner Kafoury. “Thanks to this program, the Morrison Bridge lights will be available to anyone that has an event to celebrate.”

A portion of application fees will go to the Light Brigade to administer the program. To learn about the program and download an application, visit www.lightthebridges.org. For questions about the program, contact info@lightthebridges.org or 503-235-8384.

Did you know that the eastside is a hotbed of creative types?

Located right in the district are literally hundreds of artists and sculptors who have unique artwork which you can display in your office or home. As a goal of the Council to unite all groups in the district, we feel you should check out what other people in the area are doing to make the eastside so vibrant.

If you would like to learn more about your neighborhood sculptors, visit their website .

PROJECT
Overall, the East Side Big Pipe Project is slightly ahead of schedule and under budget. The project is now about 74% complete. The completed portion of the north drive of the tunnel is approximately 3.5 miles from its beginning at the Opera Shaft. The construction began in the spring of 2006 and will be completed by summer 2011.

TUNNEL and SHAFTS
Rosie, the tunnel boring machine (TBM), is currently tunneling about ¾ mile north of the Fremont Bridge. The September 2009 destination for this drive is the Port Center Shaft on Swan Island, which will complete the north drive. The TBM will then be retrieved from the shaft and be transported back to the Opera Shaft to begin the south drive to the McLoughlin Shaft at SE 17th Avenue and McLoughlin Blvd.

Steel Bridge Shaft (N Interstate near the Rose Quarter): Work will continue in the fall.

Alder Shaft (SE 3rd and Alder St): The construction of the vortex structures that will convey the flow into the shaft from Outfall 36 is complete. The crew is now constructing the shaft roof.

Opera Shaft (SE Water and Caruthers): The mining shaft continues to provide access to the tunnel for the workers, equipment, and supplies.

PIPELINES
SE 2nd and SE 3rd avenues Pothole Restoration (SE 2nd Ave between SE Clay and Morrison streets): Restoration of the more than 200 potholes begins in July.

Outfall 37-3 (SE 3rd Ave and Stark St): Open trench work begins in late July to install a diversion structure and pipeline at this intersection. This work will collect the flow from the existing outfall pipe and convey it to the new 84-inch microtunnel. The microtunnel will bring the flow to the tunnel at the Alder Street Shaft. This work will close SE Stark Street and continue for about two months.

Outfall 38-2 and 38-3 (SE 3rd Ave and Oak St): Excavation of these two sites begins in August to install manholes and flow through pipes. Restoration of these sites is scheduled for end of November.

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Hinton, Community Relations Environmental Services for the City of Portland at: .

East Side Big Pipe Project Office
211 SE Caruthers, Suite 200
Portland OR 97214
503-823-2827
mailto:dianah@bes.ci.portland.or.us
www.cleanriverworks.com

Get ready to have Grand Ave and parts of MLK torn up as the Portland Streetcar comes to the eastside. At an estimated cost of $148 million, the streetcar will connect PSU with Lloyd Center to OMSI.

City Council recently approved a contract with Stacy and Witbeck Construction for utility and water line work. The firm will also provide construction management for the entire project.

Construction will get underway in August to extend the Portland Streetcar more than three miles from the Pearl District, across the Broadway Bridge and down to OMSI. Before workers can lay tracks, they must relocate a water main underneath Grand Avenue. That relocation project will employ 90 people over the next year.

All phases of the Portland Streetcar Loop project will create more than 1300 jobs.

The expansion will cross the Broadway Bridge, run down MLK and loop back up Grand to Broadway. The city is also working on getting funding for another project to eventually extend the streetcar across the river, from OMSI to OHSU.

Beginning in August, traffic on Grand will be reduced to two lanes during the day, and one lane at night.

Streetcar service should begin in southeast Portland in spring of 2012.

To learn more about the project and a map of the loop, click here Portland streetcar_map_may09