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New I-5 Columbia River crossing reduced to 10 lanes

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andytom:

--- Quote from: Zmapper on August 10, 2010, 05:35:06 PM ---Ok, let me clarify my position. When I mean 8 lanes, I mean 8 vehicular lanes, in addition to a ped/bike crossing and light rail. Also, and even if we build a 20 lane bridge, the extra space will mean that people will move up into Washington State and the 20 lane bridge will be just as congested as before. Visit http://smarterbridge.com/?q=node/19 for more information about what I'm talking about. Even though they want an 6 lane bridge, I'll acknowledge going to 8 lanes isn't a bad idea because of the congestion. But no more than 8!

--- End quote ---

None of this changes the fact that, when building bridges, you don't build for what you need now; you build for what you need in 20-30 years.  Over time, it's massively less expensive to build for the future every 50 yrs than to build for current conditions every 20, particularly at chokepoints like bridges.

People are moving into the Portland area and some of that will move into Vancouver.  A small bridge isn't going to change that.

Note that the change from 12 to 10 lanes is reducing the cost by only 1-2% and probably removing auxilliary lanes on the bridge itself.

--Andy

andytom:

--- Quote from: Zmapper on August 11, 2010, 12:32:37 AM ---Here is my attempt to add another bridge to the Columbia River. There, now if only we can encourage thru traffic to use it! :pan: If this is done, the current bridge can remain 6 lanes.
http://goo.gl/maps/p81S

--- End quote ---

This does not address the fact that 75% of the trips that cross the current bridge begin or end within 5 miles of the bridge.  It doesn't address the fact that OR-217 has the highest per-lane traffic counts of any highway in the state (has been that way for a long time) and is hit-or-miss as to whether it's clogged or not at any time of day right now.  It does not address the fact that US-26 west of OR-217 is often in bad shape even with the continued extension of the six lane portion (which just moves the problem farther out, currently in the process of moving it from Cornell to 185th).

--Andy

ShawnP:
If you guys want to scrap it..........send the money to the Louisville Bridges Project (new I-65 bridge and new east end bridge and roadways connecting two unconnected sections of I-265).

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