Here we go again. Elites and bureaucrats want to raise the I-5 Bridge issue again without any reasonable logic. The problem is Delta Park and the Rose Quarter/Coliseum area.
Shortly before the I-5 Bridge rebuild became an issue, structural engineers proclaimed its service life to be 50 years. I read that in The Columbian. Now people are declaring it obsolete. All they are going to get is a fancy, wider parking lot.
One of the sales pitches for the I-205 bridge was for traffic to avoid the downtown Vancouver/Portland congestion. What changed? Oh, I know. They want a shiny new bridge with light rail. Why spend such a huge amount of money on something that will only carry 2 percent of the people? Buses are cheaper and more versatile.
My successful business background tells me a western bypass would solve most of the issues. A group of traffic engineers in West Portland communities likes the idea also. Urban bypass has been key to the interstate system.
