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Multnomah County approves notice to seek $5 million federal planning grant for aging Stark Street Bridge
Summary
The Multnomah County Board approved a notice of intent to apply for a FY26 U.S. DOT BUILD planning grant to fund design work for the century-old Stark Street Bridge, seeking $5 million for the design phase and citing structural deficiencies and 36 recorded accidents since 2017.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a notice of intent to apply for a FY26 U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD planning grant to support design work for the Stark Street Bridge Replacement Project.
Megan Neil of the county Transportation Division told the board the bridge, built about 1914, has a federal sufficiency rating of about 25 out of 100 and does not meet modern design or load standards. "We are requesting $5 million to go towards the design phase of the project," Neil said, adding the county has already begun environmental review and, if awarded, could roll directly into design work.
Neil said the bridge is a critical rural link for Corbett and Springdale residents, school transportation and emergency responders, and noted that an 18-foot roadway width and substandard geometry have contributed to collisions. "There have been 36 recorded accidents on this bridge since 2017," she said, and engineers documented scour and earthquake vulnerability that prompted an emergency repair last fall.
Board members questioned whether GPS routing contributes to large trucks reaching the narrow crossing; transportation staff said they have tried to coordinate routing changes via GIS but that effectiveness has been limited. Commissioners voiced support for the grant application and the county’s plan for community engagement during design.
Commissioner Jones Dixon moved approval of the notice of intent; a roll call vote followed. Commissioners Moyer, Singleton, Brim Edwards, Jones Dixon and Chair Vega Peterson all voted yes. The board’s action directs staff to file the grant application by the county’s stated deadline (Neil said the application was due Feb. 24). No construction funding was approved at the meeting; this item authorized only pursuing the federal planning grant.
Why it matters: The bridge is a locally vital connection that county staff say is structurally and functionally obsolete, and a federal planning grant could pay for design work needed to pursue construction funding and reduce closures that have disrupted residents and local agriculture.
Next steps: County staff will submit the BUILD planning grant application and continue environmental review and community engagement, and the board will consider further funding or design approvals if the grant is awarded.
