About the project

There are two highway bridges that cross over the Willamette River in the Salem area, the Center Street Bridge and the Marion Street Bridge. Of the two, the eastbound Center Street Bridge was determined to be the better candidate to make earthquake ready. This work will happen in two phases.

In Phase 1, we’ll address seismic resiliency for the sections of the bridge over the Willamette River and two of the ramps on the east side.

In a future Phase 2, after we complete an analysis and when we have funding, we will replace a portion of the bridge on the west side of the river to make it earthquake ready.

We plan to start construction in 2026 Most of the work is happening under the bridge and will take multiple years to complete.

We’ll know more about the schedule and when impacts will occur as we finish design. During this multi-year project potential impacts may include:

• Lane and ramp closures. 
• Up to four full Center Street Bridge weekend night closures while we install new bridge joints. 
• Temporary Riverfront Park, Wallace Marine Park and Willamette River Water Trail impacts. 

We want to hear from you!

Fill out the survey to share how you use the bridge and the surrounding area, share your feedback on impacts to Wallace Marine and Riverfront Parks, sign up to receive information about other transportation options, ask questions and more!

Center Street Bridge

In phase 1, we plan to:

• Enlarge the bridge supports.
• Strengthen the river section and eastern side, including the ramp to southbound OR 99E / Front Street.
• Replace and upgrade the existing City of Salem waterline that’s attached to the bridge to make it more resilient.
• Develop an emergency response plan that outlines the most efficient way to reconnect the west side of the bridge after a major seismic event, if it occurs before Phase 2 is completed. The plan would look to reconnect West Salem and surrounding areas to downtown in weeks or months instead of years.

Temporary Park Impacts

Construction will temporarily impact Riverfront Park, Wallace Marine Park and the Willamette River Water Trail. Learn more about what those impacts may look like and what we're doing to address them by reading our latest project flyer. 

Learn more about the work we're doing by visiting the project webpage.

Want a printable version or to share this with family and friends? 

Check out our flyer to learn more about what impacts you can expect during construction.  You can print it to share with friends and family!

Access for pedestrians, including those with disabilities, will be available through or around work zones.