Boy, is it hard watching the polarity surrounding the Columbia River Crossing. Here’s some facts as I see it.
Fact, the Interstate 5 Bridge is old, substandard, and is the only drawbridge on the interstate system west of the Mississippi. Fact, the bridge is a critical part of interstate commerce and currently hinders the smooth flow of goods on the West Coast. Fact, Portland Metro is not a fan of Clark County.
So, with those facts in hand, what do we end up with?
Good — a bridge that has no bridge lifts. Bad (in the eyes of most Clark County residents) — a bridge with no additional car or truck capacity.
Solution? Apparently, do nothing. Pretend we can have a bridge with additional capacity and not pay for it (name a major bridge project in Washington state that has not had tolls at one time). Pretend Vancouver is not a suburb of Portland and, as such, needs to participate in long-range transportation plans with Metro — yes, including light rail.
