Southwest Washington – A measure addressing one of the region’s most divisive topics — how to replace the 100-year-old Interstate 5 Bridge — passed the Senate in Olympia on Monday and will head to the governor’s desk.
The measure had passed the Senate previously, but a technical amendment sent it back to the upper chamber for a concurrence vote. Lawmakers didn’t discuss the measure, but quickly approved it with 44 votes in favor and four against.
Senate Bill 5806 doesn’t create a project, but calls for an inventory and cataloging of all the previous work done on the Columbia River Crossing. It would create a legislative action committee, made up of key stakeholders and state transportation employees in Washington and Oregon.
The measure carves out $350,000 for the necessary work and mandates an inventory report from the Washington State Department of Transportation to the Legislature by Dec. 1. It continues to keep any talk of mass transit vague. It also calls for an examination of all the crossings over the Columbia River, but it prioritizes the I-5 Bridge.
