Tom Warne Report, 17 February 2012
OLYMPIA – Washington Senators approved a bill Tuesday authorizing tolling of the I-5 Bridge with a vote of 33-15. Toll revenue would go toward constructing a replacement bridge between Portland and Vancouver, and is expected to provide about one-third of the funds needed for the project, according to the Department of Transportation. Toll rates will be determined through negotiations between Washington and Oregon’s transportation commissions.
Transportation officials in the two states estimate the project will cost up to $3.5 billion, one-third of which will come from state appropriations. The bill has moved onto the House, where Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, has proposed his own toll bill for the Columbia River Crossing project.