Long-held plans for a new bridge over the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Washington, have been thrown out by a panel of experts who have suggested cheaper alternatives.
The $3.6 billion bridge plan has been replaced with three other options, mainly because the ambitious design could have been too difficult and risky to build.
"[A] panel of national and international bridge experts called on the governors of Oregon and Washington to scrap that design, saying technical and engineering complexities could doom the largest transportation project in the region's history.
'Discontinue any further design or planning work on the open-web girder bridge,' the CRC's 16-member Bridge Expert Review Panel said in its 150-page report.
After hearing repeated concerns about risks, engineering complexities, aesthetics and costs, the Oregon and Washington departments of transportation convened the panel to evaluate the bridge design last summer."
FULL STORY: Panel rejects pricey, innovative design for Portland-to-Vancouver bridge, suggests three cheaper plans

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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