July 9, 2009
- Portland, Oregon
New I-5 bridge faces last local approval vote
By KATU Web Staff
PORTLAND, Ore. - The last local vote on a proposed $4.2 billion bridge to replace the current span that carries Interstate 5 over the Columbia River is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
If the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council votes in favor of the proposal, the plan for the 12-lane bridge with light rail and pedestrian and bike lanes will move to the Oregon and Washington transportation departments for detailed planning and cost assessment. Construction on the bridge could begin in about a year. The bridge plan has already been endorsed by numerous political and planning commissions, including Portland and Vancouver city councils, TriMet, C-Tran and Portland's Metro council. The proposed span would feature 12 lanes - six in each direction, a light-rail track spur and protected areas for pedestrians and cyclists. It would likely include tolls for vehicles crossing at peak travel times. The current bridge has three lanes in both directions and no pedestrian access. The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, also known as the RTC, is planning to vote on the bridge at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The current bridge has been in operation dating back to 1917, when the first span was completed at a cost of just over $1.75 million. In 1958, the second span was added at a cost of about $14 million and the original bridge was closed for a refit to increase clearance for boats, a feature that was already built into the second span. When both bridges were opened in 1960, tolls were collected from vehicles crossing the bridge. Cars were charged 20 cents while trucks had to pay between 40 and 60 cents depending on weight. The tolls were repealed in 1966. Currently, about 130,000 vehicles cross the bridge on an average workday. Slowdowns and bottlenecks at the bridge are typical during periods of heavy traffic. 
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