By: Jeffrey Mize
Columbian
August 6, 2008
Link to original article
The White House has designated replacing the Interstate 5 bridge as a national priority, a decision the could cut through red tape and expedite construction.
Tuesday’s decision doesn’t ensure more federal dollars will flow to the Columbia River Crossing project, which is expected to cost $3.5 billion or more, but it does elevate the project’s standing with the federal government.
“For us, it really means we are on their radar screen, which is a good place to be when you are about to ask for money,” Paula Hammond, Washington’s transportation secretary, told The Columbian. “It doesn’t promise more money, but the fact that it is now a priority project speaks well for that prospect.”
The Columbia River Crossing project consists of replacing the aging twin spans with a new bridge, expected to have 10 or 12 lanes, along with extending light rail from the Expo Center in north Portland to Clark College, and building assorted interchange and other road improvements.
Federal officials say Tuesday’s designation could shave months, if not years, from the project’s schedule.
“I hope months, at a minimum, is true,” Hammond said. “I think that is the promise of the concept here, that you are going to have much more white knuckles and beads of sweat at the federal level.”
The project’s draft environmental impact statement says construction could begin in late 2010 and be completed in four years. Even with expedited review, it’s hard to believe that construction could begin much earlier.
The Washington and Oregon transportation departments requested the priority designation. The Bush administration has granted this status to only 20 other projects in the past five years.
“The Columbia River Crossing will ease the congestion impacting one of the most important commercial routes in the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said in a statement. “The president’s order is an important step toward making this project a reality so we can get goods to market and travelers to their destinations, efficiently and safely.”
The crossing project will receive expedited review but still comply with federal and state environmental requirements.
“We can cut red tape without cutting corners,” Peters said in her statement.
Congressman Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, welcomed the Bush administration’s decision to streamline the review process.
“Regulatory delays and permitting have become unnecessarily costly and time-consuming,” Baird said in a statement. “I’ve worked tirelessly in Congress to improve permit streamlining. This elite priority status will help speed the completion of this vital project and reduce bureaucratic delays.”
Baird, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, attended a two-hour meeting with state and federal officials Tuesday at the Washington State Department of Transportation Regional Headquarters in Vancouver.
Also on hand for the crossing discussion were Hammond and Matthew Garrett, Oregon Department of Transportation director.
Jeffrey Mize can be reached at 360-735-4542 or by e-mail at jeff.mize@columbian.com.
