Benton calls SR 520 bridge bill a plan to fail March 5, 2008 OLYMPIA…During debate on the SR 520 bridge bill, Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, asked his colleagues, “What happened to our vision?” “This plan builds a bridge that will be obsolete the day it opens,” Benton said. “This bridge will carry fewer cars in 2035 than the existing bridge did in 2005. What happened to our vision? This bill is a plan to fail.” The measure Sen. Benton was addressing is Engrossed Substitute House Bill 3096. ESHB 3096 limits the new bridge to six lanes, two of which must be for transit/HOV. Critics of a new six-lane bridge, including Benton, say a minimum of eight lanes is required to provide congestion relief.- 30 - Additional Contact: Penny Drost (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov |