Survey Open: Provide Input on I-5 Ped Bridge, Gateway Plaza Designs
August 3, 2020 — A project to design Wilsonville’s future I-5 Pedestrian Bridge and adjacent Gateway Plaza is underway. The City is gathering public input on preliminary bridge and plaza designs to identify concepts and design elements most preferred by the Wilsonville community.
Residents and community stakeholders are invited to participate in a new survey on “Let’s Talk, Wilsonville!” (registration required) that illustrates three preliminary bridge concepts and three east gateway plaza concepts. Until Aug. 24, community members may vote for their preferences and provide additional input on preferred elements – including public art, gathering spaces, and bridge features – for project managers to consider prioritizing in the final design.
On Thursday, Aug. 13, the I-5 Pedestrian Bridge and Gateway Plaza project team hosted three virtual open house events to discuss preliminary designs, answer questions and gather in-depth feedback from anyone interested in learning more about the project. Spanish translation is provided.
Public input is a valuable component in developing projects that meet the community’s wants and needs. Feedback from the surveys and open house events is helping project leaders establish and refine a preferred design of the bridge and plaza for further consideration this fall.
Previously, in February, the City gathered public input on which themes and elements to prioritize as concepts were drafted. The community relayed its preference for a visually iconic bridge that incorporated artistic elements and integrated nature and sustainable design.
First identified as a need in the 2006 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the I-5 Pedestrian Bridge was included in the City’s Transportation System Plan (TSP) in 2013. The adjacent Gateway Plaza, to be built on a City-owned parcel at the east bridge landing, was identified as a community priority during development of the Town Center Plan.
When constructed, the I-5 Pedestrian Bridge and Gateway Plaza will yield a safer, more connected community. The project improves access to recreational amenities, mass transit and retail establishments, and serves as a catalyst for new development to help Town Center become a more vibrant, pedestrian and transit-supportive mixed-use district.
The project includes planned public art and environmental features to establish “the hub and heart of Wilsonville,” an attractive, accessible destination for people of all ages to shop, eat, live, work, learn, and play.
Funding for the design of the project is provided by a Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) Regional Flexible Funds (RFFA) grant award from Metro. Funding to complete the project is not yet available.
For more information, contact Capital Projects Engineering Manager Zach Weigel, 503-570-1565, weigel@ci.wilsonville.or.us.
