The nation's longest non-vehicular multi-modal bridge, set to open on Sept. 12 across Portland, Ore.'s Willamette River, elevated risk management to a priority early on to help crews overcome unexpected site conditions.
Getting to the September opening started long before the 2011 construction kickoff. Owner TriMet, the region's transit provider, took the concept of risk-sharing, as opposed to risk-shifting, to a higher level, starting with a request for industry comment. That triggered a dialogue on risks, costs and risk control well before the request-for-qualifications stage. Dan Blocher, TriMet's executive director of capital projects, says he believes it was the first time a risk table was put in at the procurement level.