The Oregonian - Opinion: Giving the green light to a new Columbia River bridge

Op-Ed

By Kate Brown and Jay Inslee

Brown is governor of Oregon. Inslee is governor of Washington.

The only stoplight on Interstate 5 between Canada and Mexico is on the bridge over the Columbia River. As the governors of Washington and Oregon, we know that for too long the antiquated bridge has held our region back, literally and figuratively.

More than 138,000 vehicles cross the I-5 bridge each weekday. People travel between Vancouver and Portland for work, recreation, shopping, and visiting friends and family. The bridge's importance to the entire region and our connectivity cannot be overstated.

This crucial link has become a major congestion point, and instead of moving the entire region full speed ahead, the bridge has become a symbol of traffic and frustration. Congestion can be so severe during morning and evening commutes that speeds on this interstate highway can be reduced to 15 miles per hour.

We've been stuck behind the traffic accidents -- the rate of which quadruple during bridge lifts ­-- and stuck behind one of our country's worst freight bottlenecks that constrains the economy. We've been stuck with insufficient high-capacity transit and active transportation options even as our population centers grow. And we've been stuck behind a century-old structure built on river sand that's susceptible to damage in even moderate earthquakes.

None of that benefits Oregonians, Washingtonians, and the millions of people who drive this stretch of highway every year.

For safety, traffic relief and jobs, we are recommitting to replacing the I-5 bridge.

We are dedicating $44 million dollars to reopen a project office and begin a transparent, data-driven process that builds on previous work and truly listens to the community's needs.

We never stopped fighting for this bridge and much has been accomplished in recent years. In 2015, we secured over $98 million for key infrastructure like the I-5/Mill Plain Boulevard interchange that's an integral piece of the project. In 2017, we re-established a baseline of planning information to help move the project forward. And this year, we secured an important extension from the federal government to keep our funding options open.

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Through our renewed efforts, both Washington and Oregon will save money by using some of the technical planning work from the previous project. This includes using or updating geotechnical evaluations, pile-drive tests, and foundation work, as well as archeological and historic property studies.

We've jointly instructed our departments of transportation to assign dedicated staff to establish the program office and keep the work on track to meet important milestones.

As these efforts are vital to the entire region, we will engage the public at every step in the process. We have an obligation to not just share accurate and timely information, but also listen to community ideas and concerns. We are committed to public engagement through neighborhood meetings, open houses, public festivals, and community group presentations. Regular updates will also be available on the project website, and through email and social media.

We've worked hard to align our states for a restart of this project, and we're encouraged that leaders in Washington and Oregon have expressed an interest in coming back to the table, including a new joint legislative action committee. Leadership requires the humility to listen and the courage to act, and these lawmakers are helping us think through foundational principles important to both sides of the river.

As we take this next step, we encourage the community to join us in giving this bridge the green light it needs to move the entire region forward.

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