Milwaukie leaders hear updated plan for Kellogg Creek restoration, shared‑use path and sewer relocation

Project designers on Wednesday outlined progress and remaining hurdles for the Kellogg Creek restoration and adjacent Lower 99 bridge replacement, telling Milwaukie councilors the project is in final design but faces engineering trade‑offs that affect cost, schedule and long‑term maintenance.

The multi‑partner project — which presenters described as roughly a $100 million effort to remove a dam, restore habitat, modernize the state highway bridge and add a 14‑foot shared‑use path — includes what the team called a critical block of funding described in the presentation as $50,000,000 that must be spent by December 2027. The team said local commitments, including a $1,000,000 Urban Renewal Agency contribution and $10,000,000 in Metro funds, help leverage those federal dollars.

"This project goal doesn't just say establish fish passage. It doesn't just say transportation," the project lead said, summarizing the package of restoration, transportation and community benefits the design is meant to deliver.

But technical analysis presented to the council identified a recurring problem: the planned shared‑use path alignment drops to a low point beneath the Washington Street bridge and, according to the hydraulics work, roughly 400 feet of the alignment would be under ordinary high water annually —…