Pete Buttigieg a former presidential candidate and current Secretary of Transportation was in Vancouver this week. He visited the high school campus where my wife teaches, Cascadia Technical Academy. The secretary also discussed funding for the new Interstate Bridge. The project already has $600 million in federal grants but another $1.5 billion is in the works. I would think the visit is a strong indicator the feds want to get this project done.
It’s fair to say the project is a top priority as this is the oldest bridge on the I-5 corridor. It is also the ONLY lift span remaining on the entire Interstate Highway System. I remained concerned about the aesthetic of the new bridge. Oregon has neglected the area on Hayden Island for years and they will not care if the new span is ugly, but Vancouver and the State of Washington need to dig their heels in a bit and make certain that there is at least some cosmetic attractiveness to the design. This is not only the entrance into our state but also it cuts right through Downtown and our beautiful waterfront area. In the grand scheme of things some nice ornamental accents would add a couple percentage points the cost and make for a much more pleasing aesthetic. Some of the initial drawings showed designs with cable stays that were quite nice.
The current plan suggests they will be ready to start construction late next year. Tolling will be part of the equation. They intend to set up a toll center on the Oregon side which makes sense as that side has more space. The north landing for this large bridge will literally pass through the eye of a needle on the Vancouver side, right into the heart of Downtown. It’s likely the tolling system will be automated.
Vancouver city officials should be working hard to attract medium and large employers to this side of the river. We currently have a surplus workforce of roughly 50,000 people. Many of these workers will likely want to avoid the commute when factoring in the added cost of tolls. Clark County residents working in Oregon already face a commute nightmare and additional income taxes levied on the Oregon workforce. A toll will certainly push many to reconsider that job choice. We have a huge infrastructure capacity in Vancouver for commercial and industrial development including heavy industry. I’m still not convinced that the Port of Vancouver and City leaders are really doing a very good job of bringing medium and large employers into the area. There are a lot of Portland businesses leaving and Vancouver is an ideal choice for them. The Port still hasn’t found a significant tenant for the Terminal 5 98 acre site that was slated for the Tesoro Oil Terminal.
Vancouver has seen a tremendous level of urban growth int he city center, and that is good, but along with all this residential development, we ought to work a bit harder on commercial and industrial development to provide more jobs for our rapidly growing population.
Ah the Couv life; it is good.
The 'Couv' Life 