There’s still light at the
end of the ... bridge
The Columbia River Crossing
Coalition, a broad group of businesses,
labor, ports, community groups, and in-
dividuals, has sent letters to Oregon
Gov. John Kitzhaber and Washington
Gov. John Inslee asking them to sup-
port a “phased option” of the CRC
project.
The $3.5 billion I-5 bridge replace-
ment and freeway improvement project
was declared dead a month ago after
Washington’s Republican-controlled
Senate refused to allow a vote on their
$450 million portion of the project.
Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers
passed a bill committing $450 million,
but the money was dependent on Wash-
ington contributing an equal amount.
Other funding for the bridge and light
rail system was to come from the fed-
eral government and bridge tolls.
The CRC Coalition is now propos-
ing a scaled down version at a cost of
$2.75 billion. The phased option would
replace the bridge, connect light rail,
and improve Hayden Island and Ma-
rine Drive interchanges in Oregon.
Nothing would happen on the
Washington side of the Columbia River
until funding becomes available.
PAGE 16
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
The CRC Coalition said federal
partners would continue to pay for light
rail, bridge users (tolls) would pay for
the replacement bridge, landings and
improvements to Washington’s SR 14,
and Oregon’s state funds would im-
prove interchanges in Oregon.
The CRC Coalition’s letter to the
governor reads in part: “We feel
strongly that while there is still a win-
dow of time to receive federal support,
we cannot afford to walk away from
thousands of hours of public involve-
ment and community leadership on
both sides of the river, reams of techni-
cal data, a completed federal environ-
mental review process, and an invest-
ment of 175 million taxpayer dollars,
without exhausting every possibility.”
The letter includes more than three
pages of names, including Tom Cham-
berlain, president of the Oregon AFL-
CIO; John Mohlis, executive secretary
of the Oregon State Building Trades
Council; his counterpart in Washing-
ton, Dave Myers; Jodi Guetzloe Parker,
executive secretary of the Columbia
Pacific BCTC; and Shannon Walker,
president of the Southwest Washington
Central Labor Council, among others.
AUGUST 16, 2013