Oregon Public Broadcasting

When the Metro councilors convene for a work session Tuesday, they could wind up wrestling over whether to push ahead with a new bridge over the Columbia River, or wait. Rob Manning reports.

Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder has been a representative on the Columbia Crossing task force for years, now.

Tuesday, councilors will discuss a resolution he’s drafted.  It calls for preliminary support of a new bridge with additional lanes and light rail lines to help reduce congestion between Vancouver and Portland.

Burkholder also suggests Metro support tolls on the bridge to help pay for it.

But three other councilors are backing a different resolution.  It proposes a phased approach, with limited improvements to begin with.

The resolution calls for more study and emphasizes the need for Washington voters to approve the light rail component.

Metro’s June 5th vote on the resolutions won’t be binding, but it will show Columbia Crossing task force members whether they have the critical support of Metro on the multi-billion dollar project.