Oregon Legislative Assembly Office of the Senate President Office of the House Speaker

      News Release

Contact:  

Robin Maxey                                                               Jared Mason Gere

(503) 986-1605                                                             (503) 986-1204               

robin.maxey@state.or.us jared.masongere@state.or.us

Speaker, President Appoint Joint Committee

On I-5 Bridge Replacement Project

(SALEM_--  Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem/Gervais/Woodburn) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) today appointed a  Joint Committee on the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project charged with considering the next steps in the I-5 bridge replacement project. 

The committee will be made up of the membership of the Senate Business and Transportation and House Transportation and Economic Development committees, and Co-chaired by Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro), Sen. Lee Beyer (D-Springfield), Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario), and Rep. Tobias Read (D-Beaverton). 

 “The bridge replacement project is vitally important to Oregon’s economy. We need to move swiftly to let our partners know that we’re committed to a safer bridge,” said Kotek.  “This committee will ensure we’ve got a prudent, practical approach that will put people to work now and strengthen our economy in the long term.”

“We need a new bridge. We need to be able to safely move our people and our goods across the mighty Columbia,” Courtney said. “A joint committee led by members of both parties can provide a fair and open process and send a signal to both Washingtons – the state to our north and the federal government – that Oregon is serious about moving our economy forward.”  

The first meeting of the committee will be held on Monday, February 11 at 3 p.m.

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