Tualatin River bridge will link cities

People will soon be able to walk and bicycle over the water between Tigard, Tualatin and Durham

By Barbara Sherman

The Times, Aug 10, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Jaime Valdez / The Times

VIEW OF A BRIDGE — The view from Tualatin Community Park shows how fast construction of a pedestrian/bicycle bridge is occurring over the Tualatin River.

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Birds that call the Tualatin River home must be curious about the behemoth now under construction between Tualatin and Durham.

Birds can fly over the river, but people need bridges or boats, so by the end of this year, joggers, bicyclists and just plain walkers will be able to cross the Tualatin River over a new bike/pedestrian bridge.

“Construction is well underway,” Tualatin Community Services Director Paul Hennon told the Tigard City Council recently. “The bridge will connect the north end of Tualatin Community Park with the south end of Durham City Park and also (Tigard’s) Cook Park via a trail. All the materials are available, and the project is on schedule. The grand opening will be sometime in 2007.”

Hennon showed the council some photos he had taken recently of the construction site near the Portland & Western Railroad bridge, which some people use to cross the river despite the danger of meeting up with an oncoming train.

The Oregon Department of Transportation awarded the contract to build the bridge to Capital Concrete Construction Inc. in April.

A temporary platform has been constructed over the river from which a crane used to build the bridge is stationed.

While the route across the river is straight, the path to the completed project has taken a few twists and turns.

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