Frequently Asked Questions

General

Why does I-5 and the Interstate Bridge need to be improved?
There are significant congestion, safety, and mobility problems in the five-mile project area between State Route 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard in Portland. The bridge does not meet current or future demands for Interstate service. If no changes are made, congestion will grow from today’s six hour daily traffic jam to 14-16 hours per day by 2030. This section of I-5 is unsafe; it has an accident rate more than double that of similar urban freeways. Narrow lanes, short on-ramps, and a lack of safety shoulders on the bridge contribute to accidents. Bridge lifts stall all traffic using I-5 and add to unsafe driving conditions. Trucks hauling freight and public transit buses get stuck in congestion, too. The problem definition details the specific congestion, safety and mobility problems addressed by the Columbia River Crossing project.

What options are being considered?
The project team is studying bridge, transit and highway improvements in a process to identify the best combination of options. These five packages or “alternatives” are:

Replacement Bridge with bus rapid transit
Replacement Bridge with light rail
Supplemental Bridge with bus rapid transit
Supplemental Bridge with light rail
No build

Who is leading the project?
The Columbia River Crossing is a joint project of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Local project partners are Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, Metro Regional Government, C-TRAN, TriMet, City of Vancouver, and City of Portland.

How and when can I comment on the project?
The project team welcomes your comments and questions at any time. Your thoughts and opinions are very important to us. Your comments will be shared with the Task Force and project team. We will answer your questions and requests for information as quickly as possible. Subscribe to the project’s email update to learn about upcoming events and milestones, or check the project website for information on upcoming events

What happens next?
Detailed descriptions of the five alternatives are being developed so that rigorous study of each package can begin. This thorough analysis of each alternative will be summarized and documented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, as required by federal law. Results of this work will be available for public discussion in late 2007 or early 2008. The DEIS has two goals. 1) to identify the alternative that best addresses the defined problem while striving to avoid adverse impacts, and 2) minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts that cannot be avoided. A formal public comment period is expected in the spring of 2008 on the selection of the best alternative.

Why is the CRC project studying a "no build" alternative?
A "no build" alternative is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and serves as a baseline for comparison with other alternatives. The existing Interstate Bridge and public transit systems would remain. Only improvements reasonably anticipated for funding and construction in the Metro and Southwest Washington regional transportation plans would be considered.

As part of the DEIS process, the following issues will be addressed in each of the “build” alternatives. Each alternative will then be thoroughly analyzed to determine how well it relieves congestion and improves the safety and mobility problems defined for I-5.

What issues will be addressed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement process?

Pedestrian and bicycle improvements and enhanced connections across the Columbia River and within the project area
Efficiency strategies such as ramp meters and incident response
Freight features like bypass lanes, direct access ramps and interchange enhancements
High Capacity Transit: routes, stations, and park and ride locations
Interchange improvements and enhanced street connections to I-5
Environmental effects (air quality, ambient noise, water quality, wildlife health)
Cultural and historic resource protection
High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes
Bridge type, appearance, and alignment (upstream or downstream location)
Tolling and funding

What is being done to address transit in Clark County?
The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is studying the potential for various high capacity transit (HCT) corridors and modes within Clark County. The HCT System Study is an opportunity to identify the types and travel paths of HCT – which includes bus rapid transit, monorail, light rail transit, streetcars, heavy rail rapid transit, commuter rail, and more – that will best serve the county. The study’s outcomes will provide county decision-makers with the knowledge they will need to provide additional transportation options.

Costs/Funding

How much will the project cost?
Early estimates range from $2 billion to $6 billion to fund all three aspects of the project: bridge, highway and transit improvements. There are still many design decisions to be made that will inform the cost estimate and provide more certainty as the project development process continues.

How are accurate costs for project alternatives determined?
In 2002, WSDOT introduced a rigorous process of determining cost and schedule estimates, the Cost Estimating Validation Process (CEVP), to help deliver major projects. A key difference between conventional estimating and CEVP is the expression of project cost and schedule as a range rather than as a single number. Providing cost information as a range accounts for risk factors that might otherwise cause costs to balloon over time. The cost information is given for the year of expenditure and includes everything, even “unknown” issues that may arise. CEVP has been successful enough in determining accurate costs that states across the country are using it as a model. WSDOT now mandates all projects over $25 million use the process.

Where is the money going to come from to pay for the project?
The Columbia River Crossing project will seek federal, state and local funding. In addition, tolling will be studied as a method to help finance the project. Tolls paid for the construction of the existing I-5 bridges in 1917 and 1958.

Will tolling the I-5 Bridge create more traffic?
There are new electronic tolling technologies that allow drivers to pay a toll without slowing down or stopping. A sticker or card goes on the windshield of the vehicle and is read when the car passes by an automated toll collector. If a vehicle passes by an automated toll collector without the sticker or card, a photo of the license plate is taken and a bill sent to the registered owner.

Bridges

Why not keep the existing bridges?
There are several compelling reasons for not retaining the existing bridges. The existing bridges do not meet the current and growing travel demand for Interstate service. The bridges do not meet design standards for lane congestion. Seismic studies show that soils around the bridge piers would probably give way during a major earthquake. Substantial reinforcement or even a complete supplemental system would need to be added to protect the bridge foundation and lift spans.

Retaining the bridges alone would not solve the safety, congestion, and mobility problems on I-5. The project will also study two supplemental bridge alternatives that would convert both existing bridges into four-lanes of northbound traffic with safety shoulders. A new structure would be built to carry southbound traffic and either bus rapid transit or light rail.

The bridge is designated as a historic resource. What does this mean for the project?
The State Historic Preservation Offices from both Oregon and Washington have expressed their desire to thoroughly examine all options that re-use the bridges. These considerations are detailed in a memorandum that was provided to the Task Force.

How many lanes would a new bridge have?
Current designs show a total of 10-12 lanes (5-6 in each direction). Two of these lanes would be for merging traffic and vehicles entering or exiting the highway. Three lanes would be for through traffic.

How often do bridge lifts occur?

Currently, the Coast Guard restricts bridge lifts from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. during the morning peak period and 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. during the afternoon peak period. A change to frequent bridge lifts would result in increased arterial congestion in downtown Vancouver and on Hayden Island in the vicinity of Marine Drive in Portland. The span is opened 20 to 30 times a month, with the greatest number of lifts occurring during the winter when water levels are at their highest. Each lift takes approximately 10 minutes.

Why not build a third bridge across the Columbia River in the project area?
Most trips in the I-5 corridor have origins or destinations within the project area itself. Even if a new bridge is constructed further upstream or downstream, most trips would not be diverted to that new bridge. The SW Washington Regional Transportation Council will be studying the need for a 3rd crossing outside the I-5 corridor.

Why not build a tunnel under the river?
Building a tunnel was one of the several river crossing options considered by the project. It is possible to build a tunnel, but it would be difficult to match a tunnel with the existing grades of the roadways on either side of the river. This would cause the tunnel to bypass at least three interchanges in the project area – Vancouver City Center, SR 14 and Hayden Island. A tunnel would also require the creation of an intricate system of arterials east and west of the tunnel for vehicles to access the portals in and out of the structure. This arterial system would require more acquisition of right of way than the proposed replacement alternatives.

Why not build a two level bridge?
It would very difficult to construct a two level bridge that was high enough to clear river traffic needs, but low enough to stay out of the airspace for Pearson Field and Portland International Airport.

Roadways

Isn’t the problem on I-5 caused by conditions around Delta Park?
Congestion around Delta Park is being addressed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Preliminary engineering is underway and construction is slated for 2008 to widen I-5 to three lanes in this area. More information can be found on ODOT's Web site.

How will the project help truck traffic?
New interchanges and on/off ramps will be safer and easier to navigate for all vehicles. As trucks move more efficiently, so will the other vehicles that are on the roads with them.

Transportation

What will be done to make it safer to walk or bike across the bridge?

All of the alternatives for a replacement or supplemental bridge in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will accommodate a safer, multi-use path across the river for pedestrians and bicyclists. Connections to downtown Vancouver, Hayden Island and North Portland will also be improved. The newly formed Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee will help advise the project on improving pedestrian and bicycle access issues.

Will there be light rail service in Vancouver?
Maybe. Two forms of transit are currently being evaluated – bus rapid transit and light rail. During the summer and fall 2007, staff will be talking to Vancouver residents about what types of transit will best serve their needs.

Will this project improve bus service?
Improving transit is one of the goals of the Columbia River Crossing project. All of the alternatives under consideration will include a high capacity transit system to connect the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. A high capacity transit system, either light rail or bus rapid transit would be complimented by express bus service to provide access for Clark County residents. Representatives from TriMet and C-TRAN are working closely with project staff to develop these alternatives.

Can increased transit take the place of a new bridge?
Even with increased transit ridership, travel demand on I-5 is expected to grow. There are safety issues with the existing bridges, interchanges and on and off ramps that can’t be addressed by increased transit. Safety improvements will benefit all types of vehicles and lead to better traffic flow.

Environment

How can we be sure that important tribal artifacts will not be discovered when soil around the river is excavated?
Even though construction is still several years away, we’re already working to make sure we are prepared in case historical artifacts are discovered. We’re taking the steps necessary to fully investigate the project area and reach agreements with tribal governments on how to handle artifacts or human remains if discovered. Projects we work on today use extensive surveys by archaeologists and other soil experts leading up to excavation. Before any major excavation is started, we drill beneath the surface in small increments to test out the soil content. All drilling work is monitored by archaeologists and geomorphologists.

How are native tribes involved in the project?
Several Tribal Governments have an interest in the project due to the rich history and prehistoric settlements and activity in and around Fort Vancouver. Ultimately, the project will benefit from the expertise and knowledge the tribes bring regarding natural and cultural resources in the project area. The Columbia River Crossing project is consulting with eight Tribal Governments: Yakima Nation, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Nez Perce Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Siletz, Spokane Indian Tribe.

Construction

Will homes and businesses be affected by construction?
Because the exact alignment and extent of the project is not yet defined, its potential effects on existing homes and businesses are not known. The results of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will identify the best performing alternative and the potential impacts to homes and businesses in the project area. Once a locally preferred alternative is selected, the project will able to accurately describe impacted properties.

How long will construction take?
Construction is dependent on the alternative selected. The general construction estimate for each supplemental or replacement bridge alternative is between five and seven years.