ORT OF KALAMA
PORT OF KALAMA BEGINS DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS ADA-Compliant ‘Kalama Crossing’ will highlight the beauty of the waterfront, the Port and the City of Kalama. Since the 1960s, Interstate 5 and BNSF railroad tracks have divided the Port of Kalama and the downtown core. A solution was designed and constructed in the 1970s, when a simple footbridge was constructed as a means of bypassing a nearly twomile long walk. However, the structure was never designed to be ADA-compliant, cannot accommodate bicycles and has been described by many residents as difficult—even disorienting. The Port of Kalama’s waterfront has become a destination with parks, walking paths, amphitheater, marina, interpretive center and McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge—nearly $20 million in Port investment in the last six years alone. The only thing missing? A safe and userfriendly means of connecting the Port and its amenities to the City of Kalama and its downtown core of small businesses. Along with the improved accessibility an updated bridge can provide, the economic opportunities for local businesses could 14
be tremendous. Patrons of McMenamins, along with future visitors to the Port’s tourism facility and ACL’s cruise passengers, have the potential to bring a wealth of new spending into the area. Bridging the gap between the Port of Kalama and the city with a fully-functional, aesthetically pleasing pedestrian overpass is not only needed, but is necessary for continued growth. Parking has also become an issue in recent years. Simply
put, there just aren’t enough spaces to accommodate new visitors to our area. To that end, the overpass proposal includes plans for an additional 100 parking spaces and renovated streetscapes on the downtown side of the structure. These new spaces will allow use for both City and Port events, boosting the economic activity in the region. As you can see from the concept art above, the new span will feature elevators on each side as well as shorter WWW.PDXMEX.COM | THE EXCHANGE
