Letter: A bridge too far east?

Clark County Commissioner David Madore wants a bridge at Southeast 192nd Avenue? Seriously? Let me start the count on how many ways this is a dumb idea.

Bridges need to go somewhere: neither state Highway 14, Southeast 192nd, nor Airport Way (on the Oregon side) are rated or suitable for heavy interstate traffic.

Despite those limitations (lanes too narrow, roadways too thin), heavy interstate truck traffic between I-5 and I-84 would immediately begin using said bridge and roads, causing infrastructure damage, as well as traffic jams on those unsuited roadways.

Southeast 164th and 192nd avenues funnel traffic from some of Clark County’s newer neighborhoods to various thriving neighborhood businesses, retail establishments and restaurants (sorry, downtown). Does Madore contemplate paving over all that to make a connection with I-205?

Unless Madore wants a stop sign at each end, he’d have to build an interchange. Standard cloverleaf interchanges take up 20 to 30 acres. On the Washington side, that would presumably be the quarry, which is well within Vancouver city limits. Good luck with that. Good luck also with convincing Oregon to raze Airport Way commercial buildings for an interchange on the south end.

Maybe Madore was elected to provide comic relief in government? But I suspect he’s serious. And I’m not laughing.

Mike Spence

Vancouver