It's not just the Ship Canal: Another part of I-5 needs a major makeover

The last few weeks, Seattle commuters have been weathering I-5 maintenance on the Ship Canal Bridge. The traffic is bad, the timeline is long … yeah, it’s not fun.  Maybe this will help ease the frustration while you wait in traffic. It could be worse: we could need a whole new bridge. That’s the situation for the I-5 span over the Columbia River, at the border of Washington and Oregon. Parts of the crossing are over 100 years old, and local leaders have discussed a replacement for decades. Planning between Washington and Oregon started twenty years ago … the project hasn’t broken ground yet, and cost estimates have recently ballooned. But the I-5 bridge replacement got good news from the Coast Guard this month that could make it a tad less pricey. Guests:  Carley Francis, Interim Program Administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Related links:  Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Washington State Is Losing Control of the Columbia Interstate Bridge Replacement Megaproject » The Urbanist Coast Guard OKs new I-5 bridge over Columbia River without movable span • Washington State Standard Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.