The analyses considered river use, vessel impacts, freight mobility, highway safety and efficiency, transit efficiency, landside impacts, air safety, economic impacts and costs associated with various bridge heights.
CRC project staff will share information about the bridge height analyses and answer questions about the permitting process and timeline at the Nov. 14 open house. The report containing the findings has been submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard and is available online.
Bridge Height Open House
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012
4-7 p.m.
Red Lion at the Quay, River Room
100 Columbia Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Through November, CRC staff will continue to refine the technical analysis on the number of vessels impacted, river users, costs and potential solutions. A bridge height recommendation is expected in December 2012. The bridge height recommendation will be central to the general bridge permit application to be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard in January 2013.
Technical work on the permit began with receipt of the federal Record of Decision in December 2011. The bridge height must balance the interests of river users, freight mobility, needs for flight paths over the bridge to Portland International Airport and Pearson Airfield, connections to downtown Vancouver, and cost and schedule of the project. Changes in the character of river traffic in the past two years led some river users to request a bridge taller than the current design of about 95 feet.
About the CRC project
CRC is a long-term, comprehensive project to address seismic vulnerability of the existing crossing, reduce congestion, enhance mobility and improve safety on I-5 between State Route 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard in Portland. The project will replace the I-5 bridge, extend light rail to Vancouver, improve closely-spaced interchanges, and enhance the pedestrian and bicycle path between the two cities. The project would be funded by federal and state sources, as well as user fees (bridge tolls).
Written comments may be submitted on the CRC project at any time at feedback@columbiarivercrossing.org. More information is available on the CRC project website: www.columbiarivercrossing.org.
