The city of Portland, Oregon, USA will have to wait a little longer for its earthquake-ready crossing.

Last autumn, the board and community members of Multnomah County chose a cable-stayed design for a crossing to replace Burnside Bridge over the Willamette River (link opens in new tab). Construction, by a consortium called Burnside Bridge Partners, was due to start in 2026 (link opens in new tab).

A rendering of the proposed design for the replacement to Burnside bridge in Portland, Oregon. Credit: Multnomah County

The county has now announced an extension to the design phase, delaying the start of construction to 2028. The extra time will allow the county to refine the design and explore ways of saving costs.

The present bascule bridge dates to 1926 and the city has no bridges that could withstand a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.