Oregon Senate Green-Lights CRC

The Oregon House approved the $450 million in bonds to pay for a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia Rive back in February. And Monday it cleared the state senate with a vote of 18-11. Now all that's left is for Oregon Governor John Kitzhber to sign the bill, which he has already committed too. 

In a press release Oregon Governor John Kitzhber said “The vote in the Senate today is an important step forward for our state and the Pacific Northwest economy. By investing in a safe and effective transportation system for Oregon, we are providing a safer and less congested trip for freight and commuters. I look forward to signing the bill. It is time that we build this bridge.”

The state will only spend the $450 million if Washington State can come up with their side of the funding, the federal government agrees to kick in $1 billion, and the U.S. Coast Guard issues the permit.

The total cost of the bridge so far comes to a total of $3.4 billion. The project incorporates a new bridge that will be able to be used by cars, cyclist, pedestrians, and of course highly debate lightrail. The bridge will also be complete with new interchanges on both sides of the river.  

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