Waterbuffalo
02-28-2008, 02:05 AM
Thanks again Kathie...
Please go here for the full article..
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02282008_Budget-includes-381-million-for-bridge-studies.cfm
Thursday, February 28, 2008
By KATHIE DURBIN, Columbian staff writer
The transportation budget the Senate passed Tuesday includes $38.1 million for the Columbia River Crossing to cover the two-year period ending June 30, 2009.
That’s $15 million more than either the House budget or Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget proposes for the Interstate 5 bridge replacement in the 2009-11 biennium.
The funding is for ongoing studies by an interagency task force. Budget writers are quick to say they have no idea how much the state of Washington will contribute once the full cost of the project is known and contributions from the federal government and the state of Oregon are figured in.
Tolling is almost certain to be a part of the funding package, they say.
Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, was one of 10 senators to vote against the budget after his amendment to require the Washington State Department of Transportation to study the option of a third crossing, in addition to the I-5 and I-205 bridges, was rejected.
Benton, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he remains convinced that the gridlock facing Clark County residents who commute to jobs in Oregon won’t be relieved by replacement of the I-5 Bridge.
“All I asked was that this idea continue right along with the study of a new I-5 bridge,” Benton said. “If it gets shelved now, people will stop talking about it; and when people stop talking about an idea, it dies. This would be a critical mistake; we will not get meaningful congestion relief without a new crossing.”
The Columbia River Crossing task force has rejected consideration of the third-bridge option, but the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is studying the future need for a third crossing outside the I-5 corridor.
Please go here for the full article..
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02282008_Budget-includes-381-million-for-bridge-studies.cfm
Thursday, February 28, 2008
By KATHIE DURBIN, Columbian staff writer
The transportation budget the Senate passed Tuesday includes $38.1 million for the Columbia River Crossing to cover the two-year period ending June 30, 2009.
That’s $15 million more than either the House budget or Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget proposes for the Interstate 5 bridge replacement in the 2009-11 biennium.
The funding is for ongoing studies by an interagency task force. Budget writers are quick to say they have no idea how much the state of Washington will contribute once the full cost of the project is known and contributions from the federal government and the state of Oregon are figured in.
Tolling is almost certain to be a part of the funding package, they say.
Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, was one of 10 senators to vote against the budget after his amendment to require the Washington State Department of Transportation to study the option of a third crossing, in addition to the I-5 and I-205 bridges, was rejected.
Benton, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he remains convinced that the gridlock facing Clark County residents who commute to jobs in Oregon won’t be relieved by replacement of the I-5 Bridge.
“All I asked was that this idea continue right along with the study of a new I-5 bridge,” Benton said. “If it gets shelved now, people will stop talking about it; and when people stop talking about an idea, it dies. This would be a critical mistake; we will not get meaningful congestion relief without a new crossing.”
The Columbia River Crossing task force has rejected consideration of the third-bridge option, but the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is studying the future need for a third crossing outside the I-5 corridor.