Field Surveys

Traffic Origin and Destination Survey

The Columbia River Crossing project is conducting additional analysis of traffic across the Columbia River in spring 2009.

Vehicles that crossed the Columbia River on I-5 or I-205 during daylight hours on Tuesday, March 10 and Saturday, April 18 will receive a short survey in the mail. The nine-question survey asks for information about the drivers’ purpose for the trip, how often they make the trip, length of trip and county of residence.

Results from these surveys will be used to verify and refine traffic projections. No postage is required to return the surveys.

Anyone with questions, suggestions or concerns should call the Columbia River Crossing project office at 866-396-2726.

Geology and Archeology Surveys

The Columbia River Crossing project archaeologists have begun investigating at some locations along the I-5 corridor, focusing on areas within the highway right of way, and are continuing surveys using ground penetrating radar (GPR). GPR is a non-invasive technique using pulses of radar that are emitted from equipment as it is moved across the ground. This technique helps identify underground voids or other soil inconsistencies. Voids or other inconsistencies in soil profiles may indicate the presence of archaeological artifacts, unmarked grave locations, geological hazards, utilities, etc. GPR also provides detailed information on soils and geology.

The project team is performing GPR surveys throughout the project area, concentrating on land adjacent to the I-5 corridor in Oregon and Washington, including the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. The information provided by the GPR surveys assists project archaeologists as they move into the discovery phase of their work. In this phase, archaeologists perform excavations to determine if underground archaeological resources are present at a specific location and if so, to identify what those resources are.

Right-of-entry permits are obtained from all private property owners before current and future investigations can take place on any non-government owned land. Additionally, all property owners are notified 48 hours in advance of work that is to occur on their property.

Anyone with questions, suggestions, or concerns should call Heather Gundersen, CRC Environmental Manager, at (360) 737-2726 or (503) 256-2726.