PORTLAND- Local labor, environmental, and business leaders have announced their support for the latest Columbia River Crossing proposal adopted by the Project Sponsors Council on Monday.
The announcement came from leaders of the Oregon Business Association, the Oregon AFL-CIO, and Jon Issacs of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
The recommendations, approved by the Project Sponsors Council on Monday, include making the bridge 10 lanes and having a separate bridge to access Hayden Island from North Portland.
In Monday’s press release, Issacs called the recommendations “a vision for a 21st century bridge which will meet the needs of the economy and provide new transportation options at the lowest cost to taxpayers.”
President of the Oregon Business Alliance Ryan Deckert urged the need for a larger bridge because “the antiquated one that we have now is one of the one or two largest choke points in terms of congestion and moving commerce in the whole I-5 west coast system,” adding that a new bridge would help lessen that congestion “immeasurably.”
Joe Cortright, an economist for Impresa Consulting, told Oregon Politico he is concerned with the cost of the bridge, rather than with the infrastructure design itself.
“Spending $3.6 billion in light of our current budgetary situation and the nature of the traffic problems there, in my mind, isn’t warranted,” said Cortright.
Deckert was not as apprehensive about financing the project, since funds will come from the state and federal governments, as well as from tolling at the local level.
“I think we’re in the wonderful position of having some seniority in the right places in Congress to maybe deliver a project that we couldn’t have got done ten years ago,” said Deckert.
Cortright argued against the thought that a new bridge will bring a lot of jobs into Oregon, saying he doesn’t think there is any evidence supporting that point of view.
“There’s a widely subscribed to and repeated mythology about transportation generally, and freight transportation in particular, and its importance to metropolitan economies, and the Portland economy in particular, that’s in my view a relic of nineteenth-century thinking,” he said.
Deckert disagreed, saying construction jobs alone are estimated to number around 27,000.
“It’s roughly speaking the equivalent of a couple hundred OHSU trams and it represents a very significant commitment of resources,” said Cortright, remaining unconvinced. “And if it benefits any people at all, it benefits a very few number of people.”
Cortright classified the project as “deeply challenged” until there is a realistic financial plan, citing the most recent independent review which expresses similar financing concerns.
Before going to the Oregon and Washington governors for final approval, the co-chairs of the Project Sponsors Council will work to develop a report based on Monday’s agreement and recommendations.
