Tagged: Interstate 5

SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon Senate has voted to approve funding for that state’s share of the Columbia River Crossing. It would connect Portland and Vancouver, Washington.

House Bill 2800 authorizes $450 million in bond funding for the project. Supporters believe the I-5 bridge replacement will provide seismic stability and boost commerce. Opponents considered the Columbia River Crossing too costly. Environmental impacts were also a concern.

But Democratic Senator Lee Beyer urged his colleagues to get down to the bottom line.

One of the biggest traffic choke-points in the Northwest is the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver. Replacing it will be one of the region’s most expensive construction projects in a generation. Lawmakers in Salem and Olympia are considering funding packages to replace the bridge. A key question is whether enough drivers will pay the tolls planners say are needed to finance the project. Correspondent Chris Lehman reports.