Columbia Bridge Project in Jeopardy

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber said the $3.4 billion Columbia River Crossing bridge project will die if Washington lawmakers try to kill light-rail from the proposal, according to reports.

Kitzhaber has said from the start that no light rail in the project means no deal, the Seattle Times said, quoting the governor's office.

The paper said the bridge project, which would connect Portland with Vancouver, Wash., hinges on whether Washington lawmakers agree to pony up $450 million to share costs, which includes light rail. The new bridge would replace the 96-year-old drawbridge that carries Interstate 5 across the river and is frequently congested.

The Republican majority in the Washington Senate has said it will reject any proposal with light rail, the Times said.

The Washington Legislature is close to the end of its session without an agreement on an operating budget that would include money for the bridge, according to the newspaper.

If both states don't add several hundreds of millions of dollars to the bridge project, they could lose a billion dollars of federal funding.

The Columbia River project would replace the I-5 bridge, improve five miles of the highway, extend light rail from Portland to downtown Vancouver and improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities. It is to be supported by more than $1 billion of toll-backed bonds, along with federal and state money.

Critics of the project have said costs of could soar, and that the toll revenue estimates are inaccurate.

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Transportation industry Washington Oregon
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