Newsroom Articles

Ruling affirms land-use decision on the Columbia River Crossing project

VANCOUVER – The Oregon Supreme Court has upheld earlier findings by the Land Use Board of Appeals confirming the process for local authorization under state land use laws to build the Columbia River Crossing project.

In December 2011, four petitioners challenged a land-use decision by Metro which allowed the highway, local roadway, and light rail system improvements of the CRC project. The court’s opinion released Feb. 16, 2012, concluded that the petitioners challenging earlier decisions “failed to show that Metro either exceeded its statutory authority or made a decision …that was not supported by substantial evidence.”

The Land Use Final Order (LUFO) adopted by Metro in August 2011 provides a local authorization under state land-use laws to build the project. In October 2011, the Land Use Board of Appeals validated Metro’s decision on all but one of the dozen issues raised. The challengers then appealed the decision to the Oregon Supreme Court. The item that was sent back to Metro by the Land Use Board of Appeals is an urban growth boundary issue that will be resolved at the local level between Metro and TriMet.

The LUFO process, initiated in the 1990s by the Oregon Legislature, streamlines land-use review on light rail projects by consolidating land-use submittals to one agency and expediting the appeal process to the Oregon Supreme Court. Projects using the LUFO process are still required to seek and secure local permits. LUFO has been used on four other projects to date.

The LUFO process is an essential tool for large public projects, ensuring that work is completed within the permitting framework and providing tax payers with the highest and best use of public funds.

More information can be found online:

Earlier story: http://columbiarivercrossing.org/Newsroom/Article.aspx?ID=41

Supreme Court opinion: http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/sites/Publications/S059872.pdf

Test project contract awarded to Washington contractor

VANCOUVER – The Columbia River Crossing project announced today that Max J. Kuney Company has been awarded a $4.22 million contract to conduct a construction techniques test project in early 2012. The Washington contractor submitted the lowest of eight bids for the test project.

The test project will allow engineers to refine design assumptions and project plans, keeping the project on schedule to start construction by the end of 2013.

The test project focuses on construction techniques for drilling shafts and pile driving. Construction crews plan a total of three drilled shafts and a set of five driven piles at two on-land locations just west of the Interstate 5 Bridge near the I-5/State Route 14 interchange in Washington and near the Hayden Island interchange in Oregon. Drilled shafts are deep, cylindrical holes that concrete is poured into to form bridge foundations. A driven pile is a long, cylindrical steel column that is driven into the soil to provide support for bridges and other structures.

Construction on the test project is scheduled to be complete in June 2012. Additional information about the drilled shaft project will be distributed to area businesses and residents and posted on the CRC website before work starts. 

Please visit the Washington State Department of Transportation bid results web page and the CRC Fieldwork Page for more information.

Govs. Gregoire and Kitzhaber at an April 2011 press conference.

Governors announce Record of Decision received from federal partners; Technical and public process validated and authorization granted to move forward with construction planning.

(Salem, OR) – Federal transportation agencies today gave formal approval for the Columbia River Crossing project plan which allows final design and construction planning to proceed. On December 7, 2011, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration signed a record of decision for the CRC. Signature on this document finalizes the environmental review process and formally identifies the federal agencies’ selected alternative for the CRC – a replacement Interstate 5 bridge with light rail. Read the governors’ full press release.

The US Department of Transportation also issued its own press release about the CRC record of decision. Read it here. 

VANCOUVER - Things will look and drive differently for the next year at the intersection of SR 500 and St. Johns Boulevard. Contractor crews working with the Washington State Department of Transportation have closed two lanes, restricted left turns and reduced the speed limit as they work to remodel and improve safety at the busy intersection.

This work is part of the SR 500, St. Johns Blvd Interchange project, which replaces the current traffic signal with a freeway-style interchange that will carry St. Johns Boulevard traffic up and over SR 500. The improvements will help keep traffic flowing and reduce collisions and delays for the 60,000 daily drivers.

While the current construction is not part of the Columbia River Crossing project’s planned improvements to the I-5 corridor, traffic routing for the St. Johns Blvd Interchange work will go through the CRC project area. The project area begins at the SR 500 interchange on I-5 and extends south to Victory Boulevard in North Portland.”

CRC project plans include making improvements to provide safer merging from SR 500 to I-5 south. Improvements also will be made in a future phase to create a direct connection from SR 500 to I-5 northbound and I-5 southbound to SR 500.

Drivers can find more information about the closures and traffic changes on the Washington State Department of Transportation website.

The Columbia River Crossing project is requesting bids for a drilled shaft and driven pile test project, expected to occur in early 2012. The work will be used to evaluate the load capacity of the soil and construction techniques for the proposed Columbia River bridge foundations. The selected contractor will install three drilled shafts and a set of five driven piles at locations near the I-5/SR14 interchange in Washington and at the ODOT permit center in Oregon. Noise and vibration will be evaluated during the test project. The CRC construction contracting page and the Washington State Department of Transportation  website have a link for contractors interested in bidding on this work. More information for businesses and residents about project schedule will be available following selection of the contractor.