New Hope for the Abandoned I-5 Bridge Project Between Oregon and Washington

The mayor of Vancouver, Washington is leading a goodwill campaign in the hopes of launching work on a new bridge over the Columbia River, after Washington abandoned Oregon on the project in 2013.

1 minute read

September 13, 2018, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Columbia River Bridge

The Adaptive / Shutterstock

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle is hoping "Washington can woo Oregon back" to replace the I-5 bridge crossing the Columbia River between the two states.

Abdrew Theen reports from the ashes of the Columbia River Crossing project, which Washington abandoned in 2013 after $200 million in planning costs.

Now Mayor McEnerny-Ogle's "efforts may be helping as discussions to revive the long-jinxed bridge replacement project take their first, wobbly steps," reports Theen, with full awareness that Washington officials will have a lot of work to do in rebuilding metaphorical bridges before a literal bridge can be built. 

Also driving the discussion are worsening congestion on I-5 near the border as more people drive and fewer take transit, shifts in the political climate of the state of Washington, and a continuously growing population in the region.

Monday, September 10, 2018 in The Oregonian

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