Date:  Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Contact:
Danielle Cogan, 360-816-8857, CRC Communications Manager
Carley Francis, 360-816-8869, CRC Public Information Officer

Hearings to focus on results in draft environmental impact statement

VANCOUVER – The Oregon and Washington transportation departments invite public testimony on the Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing project at two hearings Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, to help sponsor agencies choose one alternative that meets project goals.

Each public hearing will be held in conjunction with an open house to allow community members to learn more about the five project alternatives under consideration, ask questions and provide comments.

The public hearings and open houses are scheduled to encourage public comments:

• Wednesday, May 28: Red Lion at the Quay, 100 Columbia Street, Vancouver
• Thursday, May 29: Portland Expo Center (Hall D), 2060 N. Marine Drive, Portland

The open houses begin at 5 p.m.; hearings begin at 6 p.m. in an adjacent room. Both events are scheduled to end at 8 p.m.

On May 2, the CRC project initiated a 60-day public comment period with its release of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation. The document describes the potential environmental and community effects of the five alternatives in the project area as well as proposed de minimis impacts to four Vancouver parks.

Public review and comments on the report are important to:

• Ensure that community, natural and cultural resources and effects are fully identified and evaluated
• Help select a preferred alternative and ensure that all reasonable alternatives are properly considered
• Inform local decision makers about public opinion
• Help shape a Locally Preferred Alternative and identify measures that could be taken to maximize benefits and minimize negative effects

Public comment on the project may be submitted at any time. Comments received during the Draft EIS comment period of May 2 to July 1, 2008, will be responded to in the Final EIS. CRC’s advisory Task Force and sponsor agencies will consider the project’s analysis and public comment in their selection of a preferred alternative this summer.

The Draft EIS can be found on the project’s Web site: http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/. Printed copies are available for viewing at area libraries, community centers and the CRC project office, 700 Washington Street, Suite 300, Vancouver. Executive summaries and CDs containing the entire document are available at no charge by contacting the CRC office at feedback@columbiarivercrossing.org or 866-396-2726. A printed copy of the entire Draft EIS may be purchased for $50.

CRC is a bi-state project to reduce congestion and improve safety and mobility on I-5 between SR 500 in Vancouver and Columbia Boulevard in Portland. To meet its goals, the project seeks to add high capacity transit across the Columbia River, add merging and weaving lanes between interchanges, rebuild seven interchanges, enhance the bicycle and pedestrian path between the two cities and make the I-5 crossing seismically sound. Cost estimates for the project range from $3.1 to $4.2 billion, a portion of which would likely be financed by bridge tolls.

CRC is a joint project of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Washington State Department of Transportation. For more information visit the project Web site at http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/.

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