Ken Vance criticizes Oregons failure to pass transportation funding, calling for a more dependable I-5 Bridge replacement plan and a trustworthy partner. Photo by Andi Schwartz
Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today
The Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project was supposed to be a partnership between the states of Washington and Oregon. In case we needed any more evidence, Washington residents were provided more proof Friday that Oregon is not capable of, or willing to, fulfill its end of the partnership.
Ken Vance
The Oregon Legislature passed beyond a Friday deadline without passing funding for transportation. House Bill 2025, an $11.7-billion transportation package, did not even make it to a vote. Its too soon to know the complete impact this will have on the I-5 Bridge replacement project, but it certainly doesnt provide reassurance to those of us who have already been frustrated with Oregons participation in this project.
Remember, both states were supposed to commit $1 billion to the project, the price tag of which is currently as high as $7.5 billion, an estimate that is expected to grow with an announcement coming later this year. Washington lawmakers approved funding for their portion of that commitment while Oregons lawmakers only approved a plan for a commitment, of which just $251.8 million has been allocated thus far.
In the hours after the Friday deadline without the approval of the transportation package, news reports speculated that as many as 700-800 employees at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) could lose their jobs. There is so much still to be learned from this revelation. We may hear of a call for a special session of the Oregon Legislature. The majority Democrats are undoubtedly working behind the scenes to resurrect the transportation package, blocked by Republicans and even some in their own party. Suffice it to say, however, Oregons transportation woes continue to mount with no answers in the foreseeable future.
Clark County Today has reported at length in recent years that ODOT (and TriMet for that matter) is already woefully short of money. And, before Oregon officials even get to the partnership with Washington to rebuild the I-5 Bridge, it has its own projects ahead in line including the Rose Quarter Project and finishing the Abernathy Bridge while dealing with its own budget shortfall.
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBR) has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on its work on the I-5 Bridge replacement project. Should the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) allow the IBR to spend money allocated to the project by Washington lawmakers without matching funds from Oregon? I know my answer to that question. Absolutely not!
A little more than $2 billion in federal funds have been promised to the I-5 Bridge replacement project but those checks havent been written. So, is Washington funding all of the money currently being spent on the project? That would be a hard pill to swallow considering more than $200 million of taxpayer dollars were wasted on the failed Columbia River Crossing project.
We can argue all we want about the urgency of getting the I-5 Bridge replaced. Im not a seismologist, but I am willing to concede there is credible evidence that a major seismic event could certainly threaten the stability of the I-5 Bridge (not to mention virtually every other bridge in the region). But, I disagree with former Gov. Jay Inslee who said the bridge could fall down any day.
Even though we can agree that we need a replacement project at some point, reasonable people should be able to agree that the current proposed project isnt the solution. It rams TriMets failing light rail down the throats of Southwest Washington residents, the majority of which dont want the light rail extension in the first place, let alone at a price tag of $2 billion. Add to that the fact the current proposed project does virtually nothing to address our traffic congestion problems.
Southwest Washington residents deserve a better I-5 Bridge replacement project and a more reliable partner to complete it.
