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Opinion
The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
News / Opinion / Editorials

In Our View: Cap over I-5 in Vancouver would bridge divisions

The Columbian
Published: January 17, 2025, 6:03am

While freeways serve as conduits for transportation, commerce and connectivity, they also can be divisive. A proposal to cap a portion of Interstate 5 and connect downtown Vancouver with the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a wise approach that represents the holistic needs of the project.

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, along with Democratic Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, recently announced a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to put a lid on the reconstructed freeway. It would be part of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, which is working toward a new crossing over the Columbia River.

Advocates envision a cover — possibly containing park blocks — to span the gulf across I-5 near downtown Vancouver.

“This park over I-5 will give people more green space to enjoy and allow visitors and commuters to easily and safely walk or bike right to the new transit options taking them across the river,” Cantwell said.

For freeway motorists, the path of Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle can be instructive. There, a capped portion of the road is covered by Freeway Park, a 5-acre urban green space, and drivers below feel as though they are traveling through a short tunnel.

In addition to providing a place for parks or buildings or walking paths, a lid over a freeway can help heal divisions.

Decades ago, construction of Interstate 5 cleaved downtown Vancouver from the Army post that helped lead to the founding of the city. That creates psychological and economic barriers. For example, despite rapid growth and a bustling downtown in recent years, many buildings nearest the freeway stand empty — in part because of a lack of foot traffic due to the freeway.

Divisions also are evident along Interstate 5 through Portland. There, the freeway was paved through what had been the heart of the city’s African American community, displacing residences and businesses while splitting long-established neighborhoods. As a 2016 documentary for Oregon Public Broadcasting surmised: “Local officials and urban planners declared the community as one of ‘blight.’ They were looking to acquire real estate for new development and saw Albina as a place where they would face little resistance.”

Those actions continue to resonate. Proposals to cap portions of Interstate 5 are part of discussions to reconfigure the freeway through Portland and help heal those divisions.

Meanwhile, debate continues about the efficacy of freeway lids.

As a report from Christopher Newport in Virginia says: “Highway caps, also known as lids, can be a contentious topic among urbanists. Critics argue that highway caps are little more than greenwashing, literally covering over the problems highways cause without addressing their source. Supporters of caps point out that the political will to remove highways doesn’t always exist and caps have the power to restore connectivity as well as create new urban space.”

The connectivity and space created by a lid over I-5 in Vancouver would greatly outweigh the problems. It would improve accessibility to existing sites such as Providence Academy and Vancouver Community Library; it would create additional space for public amenities; and it would provide a physical link between appealing sections of the city.

Amid the broad concerns surrounding a new I-5 Bridge, a freeway cap is not preeminent. But it is a good idea that would enhance the project.

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