The Department of Transportation has gotten recent backing from President Bush and the White House pushing up the timetable for finishing the Columbia River Crossing. Also known as the Interstate 5 bridge between Portland, OR. and Vancouver, WA. this fast tracking will reduce the length of time to finish by months, possibly years.Only 20 other projects have received this special treatment in the past five years.
The Columbia River Crossing is projected to help control the traffic congestion that is impacting one of the most important commercial routes in the country by helping to get products to their markets and people to their destinations faster and safer.

The project that has already received $15 million in federal funding is a combination of bridge, transit and highway improvements. The project begins on Vancouver, Washington’s State Route 500 to Columbia Boulevard in Portland, Oregon including the I-5 bridge across the Columbia River.