The fact that Washington State would be completely responsible for toll collection and bridge maintenance has been one of the many fine-print details of the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail tolling project to go largely unreported.

Page 18 of Oregon Treasurer's Report says CRC "bridge ownership and on-going matinentance will be done by the State of Washington."

The information is included in a financial review of the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail project (CRC) prepared by the Oregon State Treasurer’s office, reported on earlier by COUV.COM.

The report says, in part, that the Oregon Department of Transportation and Washington Department of Transportation will “share in a 50/50 split of all CRC project costs, including cost overruns and revenue shortfalls.”
However, once the project is completed, all “ongoing maintenance will be done by the State of Washington.”

Click the image to read the entire treasurer's PowerPoint.

Other Washington-to-Oregon bridges

Washington State is also paying an estimated $10 million for repairs and upkeep on the Astoria Megler Bridge. Oregon is responsible for the other half of the bridge’s repairs.
The Astoria Megler Bridge was built in 1966. There are three phases to the bridge’s latest painting and upkeep project, which is expected to run through 2016.
Oregon is responsible for maintenance of the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge, which is co-owned by the states of Oregon and Washington.
The I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge is expected to become even more of a commuter path as drivers faced with tolls on the planned CRC bridge veer away from I-5 and head toward I-205.
Oregon is also responsible for maintenance of the Hood River Bridge, which connects the communities of Hood River and White Salmon and has been owned and operated by the Port of Hood River since 1950, 26 years after the Oregon-Washington Bridge Co. constructed it.
* The well-documented cost to taxpayers, if the CRC stays on budget, is $10 billion. This was established by the Cortright Report (PDF) which used data from an independent review panel hired by the governors of Washington and Oregon. (View the panel’s final report.)

See architect Kevin Peterson’s recent video where he talks about discrepancies in the CRC design including their use of the incorrect glide slope that just recently became known when the coast guard objected to the ill-planned height of the bridge:

See our continuing coverage of the Columbia River Crossing Light Rail project.

Do you have information to share on the CRC? To respond anonymously call 260-816-1426. To allow your comments to be used on COUV.COM call 260-816-1429.

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