6th Street Bridge replacement: Form over Function?
ODOT recommends TD replace 6th Street Bridge; Construction timeline 3 to 5 years; Study to provide alternative anlysis
Sixth Street Bridge in The Dalles on Jan. 24. The City has budgeted $177,000 to study the structure’s replacement in the next several years.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 25, 2024 — The Dalles City Council approved a supplemental budget that earmarks $177,852 to study the replacement of the 6th Street Bridge, built originally as part of Columbia River Highway.
Public Works Director Dave Anderson told Councilors that the Oregon Department of Transportation did an inspection and report on the structure crossing Mill Creek near Safeway and recommended replacement.
The bridge was reconstructed in 2001 through city and urban renewal funds, leaving it mostly unchanged from its original narrow form. The bridge allows for two vehicles and sidewalks on either side for pedestrians. But walkers can certainly tell you, they feel pretty close to traffic when crossing the bridge and watch out or run if water is puddled.
Click to enlarge. This historic plaque attached to bridge tells of its history dating back to 1920.
Anderson said the $177,852 would take a “high level” look at the bridge, providing conceptual design and alternative analysis for a replacement. “If I were to guesstimate a timeline… 3 to 5 years for the actual construction to start. So this money will get us started on that engineering effort.”
Councilors unanimously approved the following supplemental budget resolution, which includes funding for the bridge study.
The resolution is primarily a housekeeping step, changing amounts in the budget as some money was not spent as projected. The money discussed was, generally speaking, anticipated but did not flow out of the projected budget as anticipated. The larger amounts below in the water fund - $939,859 - and water capital reserve fund - $2.1 million - were created by better-than-expected revenue and the slower-than-anticipated payoff of the Dog Water Pipeline replacement project, respectively.
The unanimous decision approved increasing the Street Fund budget by $227,852; the Water Fund by $939,859; the Sewer Plant Construction Fund by $135,339; the Water Capital Reserve Fund by $2,109,817; the Wastewater Fund by $390,536; the Sewer Special Reserve Fund by $526,532; the Special Assessment Fund by $66,407
Support Local News
Available to everyone. Funded by readers.
