Why would anyone willingly work with Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, on a new Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project?
Rivers spent the past two years doing everything in her power to kill the $3.4 billion regional Columbia River Crossing project that had more than $170 million in planning and more than 15 years of time invested by the feds, Washington and Oregon, and communities on both sides of the Columbia. She told the feds, Governors Jay Inslee and John Kitzhaber, the Oregon Legislature, Washington state House and Senate Democrats that they could all do things her way or hit the road. The Majority Coalition Caucus blocked Washington funding for the CRC and several major transportation-funding packages because of her opposition.
The corpse of the CRC is barely cold, when here comes Rivers with her attempt at putting together a new effort for an Interstate 5 replacement bridge.
Any credible effort to put together a new replacement for the Interstate 5 bridge should be headed up by someone with the character and integrity to not pull the rug out from under the efforts of everyone involved in creating such a new crossing. Ann Rivers is not that person.
