Increased mobility in the Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 corridors is key to economic development and quality of life in Southwest Washington. Momentum is again building to replace the I-5 Bridge. Unfortunately replacing this bridge will not in itself solve the problem; at best it will demonstrate that urban I-5 is actually the bottleneck — particularly on the Oregon side.
Serious, immediate planning for a third bridge is essential to congestion relief. An alternative route will be needed anyway while the I-5 Bridge is being replaced. Can some localities embrace the fact that they may be bypassed?
Some good news is that there may be relatively quick ways to improve traffic flow in existing corridors. The priority of navigation is one cause of disruption, particularly during high-water events. Why should a single vessel (e.g. sailboat) be allowed to interrupt I-5 traffic?
Why can’t the downstream railroad bridge be realigned to allow vessels to maneuver under the higher bridge span without necessitating a lift?
Even easier — the high proportion of single-occupant cars traveling over the river during traffic peaks cries out for community leaders to vigorously promote increased carpool and rapid transit use. Can we make it “cool to pool”?
