French Prairie Bridge Project Task Force Recommends Bridge Location

April 13, 2018 - The French Prairie Bridge Task Force, an appointed citizen body charged with helping guide the French Prairie Bridge Project, unanimously recommended an alternative alignment on April 12, 2018. Task Force members recommended an alignment referred to as “W1”. The bridge is expected to be designed for pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency vehicles.

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 Boones 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. You may find a map of all three alignments and a narrative description 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 resource 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.

Members will reconvene in the fall to help host a community open house on bridge types. Please make sure you are on the project mailing list to ensure you receive email notice of that event by signing up here. After those meetings, Task Force members will be asked to select two bridge options. After further consideration by the Technical Advisory Committee and Task Force, a recommendation on one final design will be made to City Council and the Clackamas Board of County Commissioners. This information will help refine the study area for further environmental analysis.

For more information, please contact Zach Weigel, P.E., at 503.570.1565 or by email at weigel@ci.wilsonville.or.us.