Retired engineer Bob Ortblad raises safety concerns about the I-5 Bridge replacement project
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBR) is bribing C-TRAN with a promise of eight double-decker electric buses in exchange for C-TRAN’s support of IBR’s freeway expansion and
dangerous bridge.
These double-decker buses will travel in a bus-on-shoulder lane only three feet from the guardrail The IBR’s bridge will have a steep 4 percent downgrade as well as a curve
plus a frequently wet or icy bridge deck.
AdditIonally, a 60 mph crosswind (occurring 175 hours/year) could potentIally blow a double-decker bus sideways and up and over the guardrail. A loaded bus of 80 riders could plunge 150 feet into the Columbia River or drop 100 feet onto downtown Vancouver.
The same deadly wind and road conditions will cause recreational vehicles, trailers, and empty semi-trucks to be blown out of their lane or completely over.
This is the latest example of IBR’s incompetent leadership. Previously, the IBR has fraudulently disqualified a safer Immersed tunnel alternative that would protect traffic from wind, rain, and ice.
Bob Ortblad MSCE, MBA
Retired Professional Engineer
Seattle
Also read:
- Opinion: Interstate Bridge replacement – the forever project
Joe Cortright argues the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project could bring tolling and traffic disruptions on I-5 through the mid-2040s. - Opinion: Oversized tires and the frequency illusion
Doug Dahl explains why tires that extend beyond fenders are illegal and how frequency illusion shapes perceptions about traffic safety. - Opinion: IBR’s systematic disinformation campaign, its demise
Neighbors for a Better Crossing challenges IBR’s seismic claims and promotes a reuse-and-tunnel alternative they say would save billions at the I-5 crossing. - Opinion: Is a state income tax coming, and the latest on the I-5 Bridge project
Rep. John Ley shares a legislative update on a proposed state income tax, the I-5 Bridge project, the Brockmann Campus and House Bill 2605. - Board authorizes C-TRAN to sign off on Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s SEIS
The C-TRAN Board approved the Final SEIS for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, with Camas and Washougal opposing the vote over light rail cost concerns.
