Local Money: The high costs of a crumbling bridge

By Lizzie O'Leary, Shana Daloria
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The Interstate 5 Bridge between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington has a lift span, which allows Columbia River marine traffic to pass. Lizzie O’Leary
6006452211_7219c59722_z.jpg
The Interstate 5 Bridge between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington has a lift span, which allows Columbia River marine traffic to pass. Lizzie O’Leary

Local Money: The high costs of a crumbling bridge

By Lizzie O'Leary, Shana Daloria
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This week we got a question from a listener in Vancouver, Washington who wanted to know how much a deteriorating bridge is costing the area. The nearly 100-year-old overpass that connects Vancouver to Portland, Oregon was originally made for the Ford Model T, horses and buggies. The narrow six-lane bridge is now a crossing point for cars, commercial trucks, cargo ships, and even airplanes, which creates severe traffic jams along one of the major transportation corridors in the Pacific Northwest. 

Production by Shana Daloria