The Columbia River Crossing is critical to our region, and we cannot let this opportunity to build a bridge to our future slip away. Business and labor on both sides of the Columbia River support an Oregon-led option now being considered by the Oregon Legislature.
As president of Thompson Metal Fab Inc., I believe the proposed bridge height is the right choice for the majority of residents and business in both states. For those of us who need a higher bridge clearance, mitigation allows investment to preserve our businesses and save family-wage manufacturing jobs.
We need a new, safer bridge now. There is no logical reason to wait. A redesign will yield no real significant difference, and the cost will only increase. At almost 100 years old, the existing Interstate 5 bridge has served its purpose. The opportunity for federal funding and commitment from Washington, D.C., might not come again for decades.
Thompson Metal Fab Inc. has consistently voiced the need for CRC with appropriate mitigation. Now is the time to support the Oregon-led effort to build the Columbia River Crossing.
