Bob Ortblad appeals to members of the Vancouver City Council not to endorse the LPA on July 11
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
Vancouver City Council:
On July 11, please do not endorse the Interstate Bridge Replacement team’s “Modified Locally Preferred Alternative” (LPA). It will be downtown Vancouver’s concrete death shroud.
The LPA will create an Embarcadero Freeway/Alaskan Way Viaduct through the heart of Vancouver. Like the infamous Cross Bronx Expressway, the LPA will divide the city with noise, pollution, and cause urban decay. The LPA will be the steepest (4 percent) and most dangerous of all interstate bridges. The LPA’s 100-foot climb will be extremely difficult for cyclists and walkers.
The Columbia River at Vancouver is 27 feet deep with 200 feet of soft river bottom. An immersed tunnel is a better solution; safer, less grade, less cost, less environmental impact, and is faster to permit and build with local labor.
Bob Ortblad MSCE, MBA
Seattle
