The construction of a new Burnside Bridge that can withstand a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake has been delayed a second time this year.

That’s according to a Multnomah County press release Monday, which said the project is still hung up on uncertain federal funding. In March, the county pushed out the start date for construction to 2028 for similar reasons.

The county hasn’t set a new timeline for construction.

County transportation officials now also estimate the project will cost anywhere between $1.6 and $1.8 billion, up from about $900 million previously.

According to the county’s Transportation Division Director Jon Henrichsen, the project has received about $740 million in funding — most of it state and local — but only $7 million are federal dollars.

Henrichsen said the project is struggling to stay competitive for U.S. Department of Transportation grant money.

“Right now, with the criteria that the federal government, the USDOT, has for the grants, we’re not a particularly good applicant for it,” Henrichsen said. “We are feeling probably a little pessimistic about getting federal grants at this point.”

The county also said it reviewed the project’s design and construction methods and found it could save as much as $160 million “without compromising the bridge’s safety or functionality.”

Even with the construction date in limbo, the county is still moving forward in the design phase of the project, planning to have 60% of the design completed by summer 2026.

“This still is a county priority,” Sarah Hurwitz, a spokesperson with the county, said. “We really do want to build a bridge that will be immediately useful in the wake of a major earthquake.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/20/burnside-bridge-portland-oregon-infrastructure-cascadia-big-one-earthquake/