The Coast Guard is requiring that a new Interstate 5 Bridge must have clearance underneath for river traffic to be the same, 178 feet, as the clearance of the existing bridges is in the raised position. The Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction over the airports, is saying that the height of the new bridge cannot be any higher than the planned 116 feet to the top of the bridge.
That is 62 feet difference between the airport’s maximum height to the Coast Guard’s minimum requirement. Adding in 30 feet for the height of the bridge structure, there is a difference of 92 feet. If in the 10 years from the time of scrapping the plans for the bridge in 2013 until now, they are still 92 feet apart on the two requirements, it seems to me there is no way to agree on a compromise.
Maybe it’s time to quit wasting time and money on an impossible project. If we keep going with the existing idea without a compromise between the two federal agencies in charge, along with the Federal Highway Administration, it would be like continuing to make detailed plans to build a new house without having a place to put it.
