05.30.08
Bridges: reduce and reuse before recycle
As noted on Portland Metblogs:
The Columbia River Crossing project needs input from the public, and the current feedback period is only open until July 1.
This is a really serious issue. They have absolutely no reason to take out the existing bridges. They are structurally sound, effective for ship passage, and recently repainted. Sure, they aren’t wide enough, but thats why we ADD to them.
Whatever solution is put together, I think it’s important that it look at reusing what already exists and make it easy to add onto it later (which the existing pair of bridges don’t do), remembering that this stage will only be one more step into the future use of this road/rail/path. We should not only use what’s available today, but also look to the future so that we can expand and be flexible with the changing tides of time.
(Hell, once we get the hovercars, we won’t need the bridges, right?)