Our bridge over troubled water remains up in the air
Hopefully we won’t have to wait centuries for an I-5 replacement over the Columbia River
Paul Simon’s Bridge Over Troubled Water might be the perfect anthem for the continuing travails of the I-5 Columbia River Bridge replacement. The project, which almost everyone agrees is necessary, has been troubled by continuing debates over light rail, its height, the number of lanes and how to pay for it.
Inclusion of light rail killed an earlier version of the bridge replacement. The new bridge’s height is critical to allow river traffic to pass underneath and avoid bridge lifts that disrupt traffic on a busy Interstate highway. The argument over the number of lanes centers on differing opinions about whether traffic flows will grow or should decline. There are significant objections to tolling and a concern over the State of Oregon using general obligation bonds for a transportation project.
What isn’t debatable is increasing traffic flow. When traffic flows were first captured in 1961, I-5 bridge crossings averaged 33,357 per day. In 2021, average daily crossings reached 131,747. And, there were another 150,711 daily river crossings on the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge, which opened in 1983.
I-5 bridge planning is amid the federal environmental review process before final decisions on a design, right-of-way acquisition and federal funding application. The Washington and Oregon legislatures have each pledged $1 billion for the bridge replacement, and Governor Kotek ordered a delay on tolling stretches of Interstate highways in Oregon. Consensus on key issues remains elusive as the project’s community engagement phase continues into 2025.
Recalling the bridge’s history may be useful in reconciling differences.
The I-5 Columbia River Bridge opened in 1917 as the first bridge to connect Oregon and Washington for automobiles – and horseback. Travelers in seats or saddles paid a 5-cent toll per trip. Electric streetcars traversed the bridge from its opening day until 1940. The bridge became part of Interstate 5 in 1958, requiring construction of a second parallel bridge – and another toll.
The oldest section of the bridge is more than 100 years old. Both sections are vulnerable to earthquakes. As currently configured, neither section has room for light rail. Pedestrian and bicycle access is sketchy. Meanwhile, traffic volumes have multiplied and traveler complaints have amplified, largely about untimely bridge lifts that cause delays getting to work, medical appointments or loading docks.
The Messina Bridge
Presumably, compromises will be reached, funding will be secured and construction will get underway. Failure to reach compromises would reprise the centuries-long saga of the proposed Messina Bridge, first conceived by a Roman emperor but still unbuilt, that would connect Sicily with the toe of Italy’s boot.
The proposed two-mile-long, six-lane bridge would be the longest suspension bridge in the world. It would peak at 1,968 feet in the air. The estimated cost is $5 billion, but it would take another $7.5 billion to build the infrastructure to support it. Since 1965, $1.3 billion has been spent on feasibility studies, including a proposed tunnel that was buried as infeasible.
Physical obstacles are significant. The Strait of Messina sits atop a fault line. In 1908, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed 100,000 people and splashed tsunamis on both the Italian and Sicilian shores of the Strait. The earthquake and tsunamis remain Europe’s deadliest recorded seismic event.
The bridge would span troubled waters and interface with windy skies and bird flyways. NASA says the Strait’s wave patterns, which change every six hours, can be seen from space. Bridge decks would need to withstand 186 miles per hour wind gusts and a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
A final bridge design was approved and a contract awarded in 2006 under former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. When Berlusconi’s government fell, the bridge collapsed with it. His successor viewed the bridge as environmentally risky and a waste of money to replace a 30-minute ferry ride.
The bridge project has been revived by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, using the previous contractor who says construction could start in July 2024 and take six years to complete, employing 100,000 workers and 300 suppliers. The jobs would occur in regions of Sicily and Italy with high unemployment – and a well-chronicled history of Mafia activity.
Same Problems, No Mafia
The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project shares many Messina Bridge challenges. It must be built to withstand a major earthquake, rise high enough to allow commercial river traffic and accommodate cars, trucks, trains as well as bicyclists and pedestrians. Scientists track Columbia River sedimentation from space. The new bridge is estimated to cost up to $7.5 billion to build. This is no existing ferry to replace, though one has been proposed.
Luckily, IBR managers don’t have to worry about Mafia infiltration, but they will have to obtain state and federal permits, develop a finance plan, secure funding, advertise for construction, ensure diversity and inclusion and oversee a complex, multi-year construction project. Like the original bridge, there will be an electric train and another toll.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait centuries for our new bridge over troubled water.
Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Gary Conkling has been a newsman, congressional aide and public affairs professional for more than 50 years.