Federal Transit Administration • Federal Highway AdministrationCity of Vancouver • City of Portland • SW Washington Regional Transportation Council • Metro • C-TRAN • TriMet

A long-term, comprehensive solution

2011 Road Design ConferenceNovember 2, 2011

Casey LilesCRC Highway Engineering Manager

A corridor of the future

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• Critical link between Canada and Mexico

• Estimated $40 billion in freight crosses the bridge annually

• One-of-a-kind project

CRC project area

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CRC project area

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Seven closely spaced interchanges

Standard Spacing:Desirable = 2 MilesMinimum = 1 Mile

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0.6 mi0.5 mi

0.9 mi

0.6 mi

0.5 mi 0.8 mi

75% of southbound traffic to/from 7 interchanges

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Source: CRC Traffic Technical Report, 2011

Vertical constraints

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Number of crashes between 2002-20068

High crash locations - Vancouver

• Crashes 3 to 4 times more likely when bridge lift occurs

• 400 crashes/year; expected to increase to 750 by 2030

Source: CRC Traffic Technical Report, 2011

High crash locations - Portland

Number of crashes between 2002-20069

• Crash rates for 5-mile I-5 Bridge Influence Area twice as high as comparable inner-urban freeways

• Crash frequency highest in locations with non-standard features

Source: CRC Traffic Technical Report, 2011

• $40 billion in freight crosses bridge; $71 billion by 2030

• 8% of traffic was freight in 2005 (11,000 trucks); 11% by 2030

• 75% of freight trucks crossing bridge uses an interchange in project area

• Trucks traveling in project area are more likely to be involved in a crash

Freight impaired by congestion

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• Existing bus service is subject to congestion

• Local bus service requires a transfer

• Bike and pedestrian path across bridge is substandard

– Path is only 4 feet wide, next to freeway traffic

– Discourages use

Limited travel options

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• Aging bridges built in 1917 and 1958

• Existing bridges do not meet current seismic safety standards

• Current wooden pilings do not reach solid rock

Earthquake risk

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Public process to develop solutions

• 2001 – 2002I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership

• 2005 – 2008 39-member CRC Task Force

• 2008 – today Project Sponsors Council and citizen advisory groups

• More than 29,000 people engaged at over 950 events

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• Replacement I-5 bridge

• Improvements to

closely-spaced highway

interchanges

• Light rail extension to

Vancouver

• Pedestrian and bicycle

facility improvements

Long-term, comprehensive solution to improve safety and reduce congestion

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Increased safety and reduced congestion by replacing the I-5 bridge

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Interchange improvements - WA

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Interchange improvements-OR

Roadway improvements

• Get people out of traffic

• Connection to more than 52 miles of rail network in the region

• Encourage up to 6 million transit boardings per year

Increased safety and reduced congestion by extending light rail

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Federal Transit Administration • Federal Highway AdministrationCity of Vancouver • City of Portland • SW Washington Regional Transportation Council • Metro • C-TRAN • TriMet

Project Status Update

• Researched in-water pile installation and noise reduction techniques

• Objectives:– Evaluated construction noise– Assessed techniques to reduce

effects to fish and wildlife– Evaluated pile installation

methods

• Results:– Affirmed noise and vibration

modeling– Bubble curtains effective– Fewer pile strikes needed

Test pile installation

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• National Marine Fisheries Service– Received January 2011

– Not likely to adversely effect:salmonsteelheadsturgeoneulachonsea lionkiller whale

Biological Opinion

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• Result of IRP findings

• 16-members of national and international bridge expertise

• Panel recommended:–Discontinue work on previous

bridge type

–Suggest three bridge types for further considerationAll less costly and less risky

• Governors’ direct project to move forward with deck truss bridge type

Bridge Review Panel

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• Review by Oregon State Treasurer

• Recommendations:– Bond yields should be based on

low end of toll revenue range

– Bond yields should not assume annual toll rate increases

– Finance plan should employ:Pre-completion tollsUSDOT TIFIA assistance

• Treasurer recommendations have been incorporated into FEIS

State treasurer review

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• Review period, Sept. 23 – Oct. 24– Issued on behalf of:

Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration

– Signed by local project partners:Metro, Southwest Washington

Regional Transportation Commission, C-TRAN, Tri-Met

– Record of Decision expected in December

Final Environmental Impact Statement

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• Record of Decision allows the project to:– Complete design

– Begin property acquisition in 2012

– Break ground in 2013

• Project to start in 2012

• Purpose:– Verify load carrying capacity

of soil– Evaluate constructability

• 2 locations– 1 in WA, 1 in OR

• Noise and vibration monitoring

Drilled Shaft and Driven Pile program

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• Responsible for:– Advising CRC project director and staff

– Representing stakeholder organizations

– Communicating routinely with constituencies

• Composed of approximately 30 members– 12-15 from each state

– Terms of 1-2 years

• Meet as large group 1-2 times a year– Vancouver and Portland subcommittees will meet

10-12 times a year

Bi-State Citizen Advisory Committee

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Project development schedule

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Federal Transit Administration • Federal Highway AdministrationCity of Vancouver • City of Portland • SW Washington Regional Transportation Council • Metro • C-TRAN • TriMet

700 Washington Street, Suite 300Vancouver WA, 98660

Washington 360-737-2726 Oregon 503-256-2726Toll-Free 866-396-2726

www.ColumbiaRiverCrossing.orgfeedback@columbiarivercrossing.org