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.
It was every commuter’s nightmare. On October 24, three separate accidents created epic traffic gridlock, leaving thousands of Vancouver commuters crawling bumper to bumper in search of a route south across the Columbia River.
The first crash at peak rush hour virtually closed southbound Interstate 205, now used for some 25,000 more daily crossings than Interstate 5. Miles of traffic then headed westward on every surface arterial leading to I-5. Even Officers’ Row — normally peaceful at that hour aside from runners and walkers — was jammed with slow-moving cars and trucks. Traffic waiting to enter I-5 in downtown Vancouver stretched for miles. Ambulances slowly threaded their way through the gridlock.
Fast forward 20 years from 2019, and such incidents will be more frequent, if we don’t learn from experience and plan proactively.
The next day, the incident surely sent a timely message to those attending the first meeting of the new bistate Interim Committee on the Interstate 5 Bridge at Vancouver City Hall. The inaugural gathering brought together legislative appointees from Oregon and Washington. Members of the public waited to testify.
In the standing-room-only crowd, a potential third bridge had to have been in the minds of anyone stuck in traffic the previous day. Several speakers including Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, and citizen activist John Ley urged planning for additional capacity across the river, but the day’s focus was on the minutiae of the process and on identifying goals.
Bridges are a measure of great cities. Paris has 37 bridges and footpaths across the Seine. London’s Thames has 20, constructed over many hundreds of years. U.S. cities with far shorter histories can’t boast as many. Omaha has seven bridges across the Missouri, Spokane has five in its downtown core, and Sacramento has numerous spans across its eponymous river. Our neighbor Portland has, and needs, 12 bridges across the Willamette. Vancouver has only two heavily used routes to Oregon.
The mighty Columbia River is uniquely challenging. It carries the largest discharge flowing into the Pacific from North America. Oregon, Washington, and various federal agencies share responsibility for it. Budgets to bring about significant bridge fixes or capacity additions reach the multi-billions, and cost estimates increase yearly along with labor and materials.
Fresh approach
There is something about a bridge that is inherently complex and symbolic. A bridge connects two worlds, offering uncertain possibilities. Bridges can be good storytellers. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky’s troubled Raskolnikov haunts the bridges across St. Petersburg’s Neva River. Simon & Garfunkel pay tribute to bridges’ connecting powers in their most famous song. And in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey famously stands on the bridge contemplating suicide, before being rescued by an angel.
The Bridge Committee, with four independent-minded co-chairs, will need its own miracle to meet the challenges of the Interstate Bridge’s future. Yet, there are signs this effort may be the successful one. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, stated that planning and the resulting infrastructure should extend 50 or 100 years, and “we can’t spend forever to do it.” Such a long planning horizon and sense of urgency are reasonable and far-thinking.
Surely, our recent traffic snafu cannot escape notice. The committee cannot realistically plan for the Interstate Bridge for the next 50 years without at least considering that a new crossing will be needed at some point.
Oregon State Senator and Committee Co-Chair Lee Beyer promised that “we’re starting from ground zero. There’s no assumption that we will fix the bridge, although I would think we need to do that.” His concept of a fresh approach with no taboos is promising.
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