[RED_PDXer]

I think Clackamas County residents feel that they already contribute enough to road taxes (not true in my opinion given the low rate of the gas tax and increased fuel efficiency). They think the new Sellwood Bridge has too many "extras". For example, the westside "interchange" is going to cost $100 million alone. That's because ODOT engineers are controlling the design and requiring a design speed of 45 mph and extra-wide shoulders, basically a highway design. Going with a lower design speed would probably save quite a bit of money and they wouldn't need to cut into the hillside at all. The County could also build the bridge over the same spot as the old bridge, which would close the bridge for a few years. That would save millions. Instead, the County has promised to keep the existing bridge open while the new one is constructed just next to it, and then widen the new one to accommodate more vehicle lanes at the giant intersection with Hwy 43.

Long story short, this bridge can easily be built without the Clackamas County funds and will be built. The fact of the matter is, the Sellwood Bridge isn't used by that many people. It's only 1 lane wide and connects a cemetery with a sleepy Portland neighborhood. $300 million seems like an awful lot to pump into a one-lane roadway connection.

Why not replace it with a medium-sized ferry that costs $3/car and free for bikes/peds. or maybe just a bike/ped bridge... The Sellwood neighborhood would be better off with less cut-through traffic, Hwy 43 would be faster, and the unused funds could pay for more important transportation improvements in the region.