Sunday, March 8, 2009

Union Bridge to recieve $3.5 Million in Stimulus Funds

On February 27th the Governor announced that the Oregon Transportation Commission had approved a list of $10 million in Transportation Enhancement projects that would be receiving monies from the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The list includes $3.5 million for lead abatement and repainting of the Union Street Railroad Bridge!

This is great news. As those of you who live in old houses know, lead paint is a problem. Intact, it poses no problem to people or wildlife. But as it flakes it can introduce lead into the environment.

The bridge will open as planned as the lead poses no immediate problem. But then after the summer, in the off-season, the plans are to close the bridge again, and to remove and seal the paint as appropriate.

The news is doubly good, as there is a good chance that this will permit the city to reallocate resources for other important projects!

3 comments:

  1. Remind me again, when does "open as planned" mean? A friend said the date was now "indefinite" -- is that correct?

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  2. April 18th, 10am is still the plan! The date has moved a great deal, I know, and we're at risk of being the boy who cried "wolf." Nevertheless, we're confident about this date in a way we haven't been about the others. "Never say never" of course, but whereas the move in the other dates did not surprise us, a move in this date will surprise us.

    Thanks for checking!

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  3. The City just sent out a press release confirming the date, April 18th. They were waiting on some information and a commitment from the contractor and so this represents a high level of certainty now.

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