Resources
Community, Livability, and Human Resources
The Third Bridge Now project would improve neighborhoods by decreasing pollution and noise by removing traffic from residential neighborhoods in Washington and Oregon. Spillover traffic will be removed from neighborhoods and industrial areas adjacent to the I-5 freeway. The decrease in noise and air pollution will allow citizens to enjoy the day to day activities as simple as taking a walk to the store–meanwhile, many residents will have shorter trips to-and-from work due to new direct access.
Noise, Air Quality, and Visual Resources
Traffic from I-5 freeway and adjacent neighborhoods will be moved elsewhere which will decrease air and noise pollution. This will decrease stop-and-go traffic and the hustle and bustle of I-5 freeway. It will provide the freight, commerce, commuter and pleasure traffic more direct access to their destination. This new infrastructure will cut travel time, clear congestion, and provide a greener option for Oregon and Washington.
Cost Effectiveness and Financial Resources
The Third Bridge Now project costs are relatively low. By choosing a location where the majority of the land is bare, vacant, and publicly owned, hundreds of millions of dollars will be saved. The full or partial taking of properties – homes, businesses, and historical resources will be averted (several are valued as multi-million dollar properties). Time, money, jobs, and homes will be saved. Removal of existing utilities and road infrastructure will be avoided while minimizing disruptive traffic patterns during construction. This new infrastructure also links freight to businesses and ports so that they may better serve one another.
Cultural and Historic Resources
The Third Bridge Now infrastructure does not harm or interrupt Vancouver’s historical resources such as Fort Vancouver, Pearson Airport, or Columbia River Historic Bridge. There is no interruption to Pearson Airport (built in 1905) or the beautiful Columbia River Crossing Bridge which still has 50 years left of life.
Mobility
Mobility, Reliability, Accessibility, Congestion Reduction, and Efficiency
The Third Bridge Now infrastructure reduces congestion by providing direct freeway access to industrial areas of Vancouver and Portland. More routes for drivers, more options to get where they need to go, helps ensures accessibility and reliability when crossing the Columbia River. Less traffic using the I-5 freeway bridges, makes efficient and free flowing crossings possible. Third Bridge Now’s close-in location at the Mill Plain Extension truck route, provides connection to major transportation corridors which flows into the I-5 freeway system in that area. The Third Bridge Now project creates a more cost-efficient infrastructure by building on land that’s mostly bare, vacant publicly owned in the area of employment. The project saves money and avoids unnecessary trauma in our economy.
Regional Economy and Freight Mobility
Connecting the majority of the industrial areas on one continuous corridor with direct access from the I-5 freeway system to the ports of Vancouver and Portland, Marine Dr., Rivergate, Northgate, Columbia Corridor, and the terminals. New infrastructure with this alignment significantly helps north-to-south and east-to-west freight movement. The adjacent under-serviced, undeveloped industrial acreage in Vancouver and Portland will benefit from the Third Bridge Now corridor. This creates jobs now, and infrastructure for jobs in the future. This freeway infrastructure will bring density in the industrial areas, attracting and retaining business.
Average Daily Traffic: 195,000
Construct-ability
The Third Bridge Now project doesn’t remove homes or businesses on Jantzen Beach — the necessary land is already available and vacant. There will be no construction-flaggers along the I-5 freeway to cause a temporary increase in congestion. Construction will not interrupt existing arterioles.
Since the new infrastructure would be built in an industrial area, the construction could last 24 hours a day because resident/noise restrictions are minimal. Purchasing materials now rather than years in the future would lower costs. Since the new infrastructure would be built on mostly bare, vacant, publicly owned land, there’s no removal of existing utilities. Streets, businesses, and homes would not have to be removed to a large extent, saving significant time and money. The viaduct in Vancouver would be built over existing business and streets, similar to the Morrison Bridge in SE Portland.
Distribution of Benefits and Impacts
The Third Bridge Now infrastructure removes spillover traffic, takes the pollution out of neighborhoods, and relieves congestion along I-5 freeway system by creating more routes to various destinations for the traffic that overwhelms the I-5 freeway every day. Neighborhood streets during busy traffic hours would be safer and would benefit from a new bike, pedestrian, and small-engine access to the ports and industrial lands for work and enjoyment. Since the land is mostly bare vacant and publicly owned, the project can start immediately and create construction jobs that would last about two years. Increased transit services to the industrial areas of Portland and Vancouver will create sustainable jobs in public transportation.
Stewardship of Natural Resources
We are stewards of our land and it is our responsibility to protect the wildlife and maintain sustainable earth. The Third Bridge Now infrastructure would allow access to natural open spaces and create parks for recreation and land appreciation. The new self-sufficient, self-powered system will include internal deicing and cooling.
Safety
Creating a third bridge over the Columbia reduces congestion and opens up new options for emergency evacuation. The new infrastructure provides secondary access to Jantzen Beach from Vancouver and more accessibility to Swan Island to relieve traffic on I-5. Wider lanes will provide added safety for freight, commerce, commuters, and everyday transportation. Traffic will not be accommodated by local neighborhoods, creating safer residential streets.
Seismic
The new infrastructure would be constructed to current earthquakes standards. Should a major accident or earthquake affect the I-5 freeway corridor, having a third bridge crossing close-in becomes more of a necessity than an alternative. The more bridges that are constructed across the Columbia River the more bridges can survive major disasters. The Third Bridge Now alignment connects the ports, industrial areas, downtown Portland/ Vancouver, and crossings of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers on a corridor totally to new seismic standards. Much of the I-5 freeway through North Portland and overpasses are not to current seismic standards. It is more efficient, less expensive, faster and easier to connect a new freeway corridor than to retrofit an older freeway, on land-fill, overcapacity, and in mature residential neighborhoods.
Safety Marine and Airspace Traffic
The new bridge would be high enough for marine traffic to pass under without the use of a lift, creating safer waters and a safer corridor. New routes will go around neighborhoods rather than through them.
Modal Choice
The Third Bridge Now project freeway corridor has new lanes for bikes, pedestrians, and small engine vehicles this will add safer, more complete routes. Access will be created to/from downtown Vancouver, Portland, ports, industrial areas, retail centers, entertainment facilities, natural areas, and residential neighborhoods. Wider lanes will be constructed across the new infrastructure, resulting in organized traveling for a fully multi-modal movement.
Traffic and Transportation
The Third Bridge Now project keeps traffic moving and lanes open by providing more options to resolve congestion and ease freeway commuting. It will remove traffic from I-5, I-205, I-405, I-84 freeway, HWY-26, HWY-30, SR14, SR-500, and adjacent arterioles, relieving congestion. The new infrastructure will get you to and from your destination faster in addition to preventing bumper-to-bumper traffic and transportation delays.
Third Bridge Now alignment 1-mile west of the I-5 freeway bridges -saves traffic from making the 6-mile trek out to the I-205 freeway every time the I-5 freeway system through North Portland is full.
Growth Management and Land Use
The Third Bridge Now infrastructure supports growth management and current land use for non-sprawl. Large areas of undeveloped industrial land in Vancouver and Portland are adjacent to each other. They are future growth areas that are landlocked by neighborhoods between the I-5 freeway and industrial areas. Added infrastructure to the industrial areas helps those areas retain their zoning. New and upgraded infrastructure in the form of heavy rail and direct freeway access enables businesses to grow.
Business transit would be added for commuters, lessening the need for single occupancy vehicles. Freight oriented development and the attraction of business keeps companies from spreading into other areas along I-5 and I-84 freeways and prevents business sprawl. People will only work so far from their home, so adding better access and/or keeping businesses together prevents sprawl.