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Fixing the Traffic Clot at I-5 Columbia River Bridge

I-5 Traffic on the Bridge Has Grown, and Grown, and Grown..The I-5 bridge between Portland and Vancouver is a mess. And Sam is working to fix it.

Sam is a member of the Columbia River Crossing Taskforce, which is charged with improving the current I-5 crossing. It has been a long process, but the group has narrowed down the potential projects to two - dismantling the current I-5 bridge and building a new I-5 bridge with more automobile capacity, pedestrian and bicycle accomodations, and some form of transit.

Portland is one of the most trade-dependent cities in the country, which is just one of many reasons the current I-5 bridge crossing the Columbia River and connecting OR and WA must be fixed.

It represents the worst bottleneck on the West Coast's interstate system. If you have ever had to commute between Portland and Vancouver during rush hour, you already know that - and that gridlock is the result.

Also, it is not up to seismic standards - this 1917 bridge would fail if a moderately strong earthquake were to happen.

Originally, new arterial bridges were on the table, as was continuing to use the current bridge. With these ruled out, the region is closer than ever to a a recommended bridge.

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