The O gets it
A new bridge over the Columbia will be there for the next 100 years, it needs to function like it.
If the bridge can symbolize the best and greenest thinking of our region, that would be a fine thing, too. And some brainstorming along this line has begun. One architect, for instance, recently proposed wind turbines on the bridge, possibly to power tollbooths or bridge lights — an intriguing idea.But would it be timeless enough? Any too-faddish design could be as instantly obsolete as Disneyland’s Tomorrowland was, from the minute it opened.
Bingo. Saddling future generations with technology like wind turbines or solar panels, both of which will surely be outdated early in the bridge’s lifetime, is no way to go. The current bridge is a product of a by-gone era that couldn’t have possibly forseen the Interstate Highway System and we’ve been dealing with that problem for over a half century.
A new crossing needs to be utilitarian, period. We’re not building it for today. We’re building it for the year 2090. Let’s make sure it will still be functional then.
With a $5,000,000,000 price tag, wouldn’t a tunnel be simpler?
No external design issues, no disturbing the salmon , just 3 nice big tubes under the river.
Personally I’ve always preferred the idea of a tunnel. It gets out of the way of the aircraft and it doesn’t disturb the salmon. There’ll be some who wonder about the potential for earthquake damage, to which I say they work for the BART in San Francisco, they can certainly work up here.
All that said, I think the ship has sailed on that idea. Now all we can hope to do is keep Adams as far out of the decision process as we can And that starts with a strong governor and a strong Oregon Republican party. Neither of which is likely to happen.