PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says President Barack Obama’s jobs plan would include money for a new bridge to carry Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.
LaHood told Portland’s KGW-TV on Tuesday that “we support it, the money will be there.”
Officials are counting on a significant infusion of cash from the federal government to help pay for the more than $3 billion project, which includes a new bridge for vehicles and light rail as well as new I-5 interchanges in Oregon and Washington.
Supporters hope the project would alleviate traffic bottlenecks, but critics say it’s too expensive.
