Brush Prairie resident Bob Mattila doesn’t favor light rail, but he says if we can’t have a new I-5 Bridge without it, it should be put on the newer existing bridge
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
If we are ever going to get a new I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River, we need to start using some common sense in designing it. The biggest problem, I think, is the pipe dream of putting light rail on it. I don’t favor light rail, but if we can’t have a new bridge without it, put it on the newer existing bridge, the southbound one, or on the railroad bridge, a mile downriver.
The Coast Guard wants a clearance of 178 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration, (the two airports), wants 116 feet maximum height. Anything higher would make it too steep for light rail. The 178 feet might conflict with the airplane traffic from the two airports on both sides of the river. Leave the light rail off and try to get the Coast Guard and the airports to compromise with maybe 150 feet, or something similar.
Almost everything we do consists of compromises, so it’s time to make some reasonable compromises to get the bridge built, or it will never get done. I-5 veers to the east on both sides of the river so build the first new bridge on the east side. First build one bridge wide enough for five lanes. Then remove the existing northbound bridge, using the new bridge for the Northbound traffic, and build the second, (Southbound), bridge in its place with five lanes.
Bob Mattila
Brush Prairie
Also read:
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- Plan ahead for ramp closures on I-5 near Ridgefield, July 8-9Travelers on northbound I-5 near Ridgefield should prepare for ramp closures July 8–9 as WSDOT crews conduct final testing of new wrong-way driving detection systems. The closures affect exits 9 and 11, including the Gee Creek Rest Area.
- Oregon DOT director calls transportation funding bill failure ‘shocking,’ warns of layoffsODOT Director Kris Strickler warned staff that up to 700 layoffs are imminent after lawmakers failed to pass a transportation funding bill, deepening the agency’s $300 million shortfall.
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