The current Columbia River Crossing, as planned, increasingly appears to be a costly, monstrous boondoggle. More than the “light rail to Clark County” issue, it’s another “bridge to nowhere.” It will cost billions, impede commercial river traffic, cause aviation problems and for what? Reduce commuting time from Vancouver to Portland by an estimated one minute. The common-sense alternative, or CSA, seems to beat the CRC hands down in terms of land, river and air traffic suitability, adaptability to public needs, resistance to disaster, looks and most especially: cost.
It’s disappointing that Oregon decision makers, especially those with “green” credentials, dropped the ball. Washington legislators can demonstrate sound political leadership by shifting CRC design away from the bloated “one-size-fits-all” plan toward the CSA’s balanced, leaner, phased approach. Many voters do not want to see us taxpayers on the hook for a mega-costly mess on the order of the late Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, aka WHOOPS), especially now in our lean economic times.
Send a message to our elected officials to stop the CRC in its present form, shift the focus toward the common-sense alternative.
Ole Helgerson
CARSON
