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How Does This Project Work?
The planning process for the Columbia River Crossing project is marked by five major milestones:
Define the Problem and Evaluation Criteria
To clearly focus on the right solutions, the problem must first be defined in detail. Transportation planners and engineers have reviewed existing and projected transportation performance data and drawn on public input to fully understand the problems to be solved. This public dialogue was part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) "scoping" process for projects seeking funding from federal agencies.
The Problem Definition was adopted by the Task Force in November 2005 and the Project Sponsors Council concurred with this recommendation in December 2005.
The criteria that will be used to evaluate various alternatives are now being developed. These criteria will be based on regulatory requirements and community values and concerns, and will be the yardstick against which alternatives will be measured. By applying the same criteria to each alternative, we will be able to see how alternatives compare with regard to solving the problem and supporting community values.
These steps have been taken on Milestone 1:
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Engineers analyzed existing information and identified specific transportation problems in the project area. These include such issues as closely spaced interchanges, short weave and merge sections, vertical grade changes, and narrow highway shoulder widths.
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During its September, October, and November meetings, the Task Force discussed and revised the Problem Definition to better reflect the understanding of the problem by many different community stakeholders, agencies, and organizations. Read more about the Task Force discussions in Meeting Materials.
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During the first set of NEPA "scoping" meetings in October 2005, the public was invited to provide input on the problems in the project area and on the criteria to be used to evaluate alternative solutions. Read more about these open houses and the results of the first public survey.
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The Problem Definition was adopted by the Task Force in November 2005, and the Project Sponsors Council concurred with this recommendation in December 2005. For more information about problems in the project area, read the Problem Definition.
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At the end of 2005, project task leaders reviewed background information and community input from the open houses and the public survey regarding project area natural and community resources. Based on this information, they developed the Evaluation Framework, including a draft set of criteria to use in evaluating alternatives. The Task Force discussed the Evaluation Framework at its November and January meetings. Read more about these discussions in Meeting Materials.
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