Tom Warne Report, 5 July 2013
Washington State legislators concluded their session Saturday without allocating crucial funding to the Columbia River Crossing Project, effectively killing the planned I-5 Bridge replacement. As a result, both states’ governors decided to shut down the project, as officials widely knew that the project would be cancelled if the Washington legislature did not make a funding commitment this year. The planned project had an aggressive schedule, with tens of millions in taxpayer dollars already spent and a $3.4 billion finance plan.
Gov. Jay Inslee said he would meet with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and transportation officials to decide where to go from here. Kitzhaber said in a statement that the dissolution of the CRC did not change the safety and economic risks with the current I-5 Bridge between Vancouver and Portland.
“But without the funds from Washington and adherence to the project budget and schedule, neither state can incur the further costs of delay,” Kitzhaber said. “Consequently, project managers have begun to close down the project.”
The CRC was dependent on Washington and Oregon to jointly contribute $900 million to the project cost. Oregon lawmakers approved their state’s $450 million this year. House Democrats in Washington passed $10 billion in a transportation revenue package and project list that would have committed the state’s $450 million, but Senate Republicans were skeptical of the package. Specifically, the 10 ½ cent gas tax increase that it relied on.
Ultimately, the Senate did not take action on either the transportation package or CRC funding before adjourning.
I-5 is arguably one of the most important transportation routes on the west coast, and the existing bridge over the Columbia river is a weak link along this critical corridor. Not funding the reconstruction project does not mean the need goes away. I don’t know how else to describe this situation other than tragic. JN