Letter: Room to add bridges

Recent stories about regional traffic congestion reported that commuters in the Portland-Vancouver area waste 52 hours and spend $1,273 annually in their cars due to delay.

The majority of regional traffic congestion problems are in Oregon. Sadly, our Regional Transportation Council does not track or discuss Interstate 5 at the Rose Quarter, which has Oregon’s highest accident rate. How many Southwest Washington residents are involved?

The No. 1 cause of congestion is that two-lane section of I-5 at the Rose Quarter. It’s a safety issue, yet Oregon refuses to add more lanes and widen I-5.

The second problem is that all of the traffic bound for the Portland suburbs of Beaverton and Hillsboro, or the Oregon Coast must go through the three-lane Vista Ridge Tunnel near downtown Portland. A west-side bypass is needed. Oregon continues saying “no” to this common-sense option.

Oregon ignores safety and rejects widening I-5 at the Rose Quarter and rejects a west-side bypass. The only option left is to pursue a third bridge east of Interstate 205. The mayor and city council of Troutdale, Ore., are courting an east-side bridge that connects Clark County with Troutdale and Interstate 84.

Let’s hope we can get Oregon legislators interested in building a third bridge across the Columbia River. After all, the city of Portland has nearly a dozen bridges crossing the Willamette River. Why should we be limited to just two bridges across the Columbia River?