Vancouver resident Robert Wallis shares his claim that WSDOT and ODOT have failed to provide the public with honest information regarding a proposed tunnel solution for 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

Thank you Clark County Today for your coverage of the tolling issues related to the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project. Although I am writing about the tunnel issue, that issue has one thing in common with tolls – the failure of WSDOT and ODOT to provide the public with honest information. In doing so, they are undermining the integrity of the process that ensures the public gets value from their tax dollars.

It has recently come to light that the public was deceived by the IBR project team into believing that the tunnel option was not feasible. The question is – will that same deceit be brought to bear upon the tolling issue?

The IBR project team’s deceit regarding the tunnel is addressed in the “tunnel too deep” engineering report available on my Linkedin site (Robert Wallis in Vancouver, Wa.). In essence, they made an engineering error (very likely on purpose) which greatly exaggerated the tunnel depth. That error made the tunnel option appear way more expensive than it would otherwise be. That “tunnel too deep” error also made the connections to Downtown Vancouver unfeasible, which was the primary reason the tunnel option was never given serious consideration.

My concern is that the IBR project team may attempt to deceive the public and their elected officials on tolls the same way they deceived them on the tunnel option. I just hope someone pays enough attention to notice. I think the tunnel versus bridge issue is important, but the fact is that the toll issue is even more important, which is why I appreciate the attention being given to it by Clark County Today. With that attention, perhaps the tolling decision will be made on the basis of fact, instead of fiction, as was the case with the decision to reject the tunnel as a viable option for the IBR.

Robert Wallis
Vancouver

---

Also read:

• 
  Opinion: Brandi Kruse and I are feeling discouraged but we’re planning to continue advocating for political change. Will you?
  Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance reflects on a discouraging week in Washington state politics, echoing Brandi Kruse’s frustrations over Democrats’ state income tax victory and local decisions on transit and ICE while urging conservatives not to give up on advocating for political change.
• 
  Opinion:  ‘My thoughts on yesterday’s tragic state income tax’
  Leslie Lewallen argues Democrats passed an unconstitutional “millionaires tax” on March 10, 2026, rejected more than 70 Republican amendments, and set Washington on a path she says will harm jobs, schools, and families statewide.
• 
  Opinion: Starbucks founder flees the new NW tax hell
  Lars Larson argues that Howard and Sheri Schultz are leaving the Pacific Northwest for Miami following Washington’s new millionaires tax and rapid state budget growth in Oregon and Washington.
• 
  Letter: ‘One year later, a withheld text message points to perjury’
  Clark County resident Rob Anderson argues a previously undisclosed text message tied to a C-TRAN board dispute raises questions about sworn statements and public meeting rules.
• 
  Opinion: It’s not just the increased taxes that are driving businesses away
  Mark Harmsworth of the Washington Policy Center argues taxes, workforce challenges and economic uncertainty are driving businesses to relocate outside Washington.