Program officials are considering aligning the two by moving Highway 14’s terminus to Columbia Street near Phil Arnold Way south of City Hall.
“Those connections into what has been a developing downtown core are important,” Green said. “Putting connections where they can have long-term planning around them is a good thing.”
Extending Main Street to the waterfront is also being considered. Main Street currently ends at the cloverleaf connecting Highway 14 to southbound I-5, however, with a raised Interstate 5 Bridge and approaches, there is a window to extend it.
The proposed fixed-span bridge with 116 feet of clearance will touch down near Evergreen Boulevard in Vancouver and closer to mainland Portland on Hayden Island and will go over the railroad line and Highway 14.
Ahead in 2023, the program anticipates receiving a $1 billion commitment from the Oregon Legislature, matching Washington, publishing its supplemental draft environmental impact statement over the summer and applying for federal grants in keeping with its goal of breaking ground by 2025.
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