More Columbian Bridge propaganda that ignores the massive opposition: Bridge designers search for function and beauty

Yup... bridge designers are searching for an ever-increasing way to make this turd in a punch bowl as expensive as possible.

Unfortunately, as usual, this is yet another in the massive series of propaganda pieces that would have made Herr Goebbels blush with pride from our own, circling the drain Columbian.

See, the designers that have attached themselves like a leech to the neck of a water buffalo for the millions they're ripping off from us taxpayers aren't concerned with the fact that we don't want this thing... they're the modern-day equivalent of Concentration Camp Guards.

You know... orders are orders and all that rot?

Of course, that didn't work in Nuremberg, and it ain't doing to well in Clark County, either.

A poster in the thread says it best:

I desperately want these supporters like Royce and the C-Trans mob to come out and defend this garbage heap.

They have no courage, or they would willingly put this thing to a vote. In this instance, they're doing absolutely everything they can to AVOID a vote... because they already know the outcome... and GOD forbid that the people forced to PAY this despicable bill should ACTUALLY HAVE A SAY!

These are the same embarrassments to democracy that actually SUED the voters into silence over the organized crime activity known as "downtown redevelopment."

There is no lie they won't tell... no effort to avoid dealing with the massive opposition to this project... no amount of OUR money (now already exceeding $100 million for a "study" with a pre-ordained outcome ("Oh, gee... the ONLY option we can POSSIBLY do is to replace a perfectly serviceable bridge for FOUR BILLION DOLLARS so we can bring loot rail into Vancouver!")Like anyone breathing didn't know, several months in advance, that such was the ONLY outcome the Downtown Mafia and this newspaper would EVER accept.) they won't spend to convince us that everything is sweetness and light... and no worries, mate... we're not only going to SCREW the commuter... but THEY ARE GOING TO ENJOY IT!

Bridge designers search for function and beauty

Matching gateways could be posited at different ends of I-5 crossing

Friday, March 13 11:35 a.m.

BY JEFFREY MIZE
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing Bridge designers are paying particular attention to piers and pile caps, using lighting to illuminate the supports from the inside out. Another feature could be artwork panels reflecting the region’s history or natural resources.

Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing A 25-foot-wide path for pedestrians and cyclists could feature mosaic tile or other features and provide expansive views looking east toward Mount Hood.

Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing One possible design for a new Interstate 5 bridge from Oregon looking north on the east side of the bridge.

Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing One possible design for a new Interstate 5 bridge from Oregon looking north.

Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing Large gateways could greet drivers as they enter and exit the primary crossing, providing doorways to Vancouver and Portland.

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Dramatic lighting would illuminate double V-style piers that support a new Interstate 5 bridge.

Matching blue gateways on each side of the crossing would welcome drivers as they enter Vancouver and Portland.

A 25-foot-wide path for pedestrians and cyclists would feature mosaic tile and provide expansive views looking east toward Mount Hood.

The Columbia River Crossing’s Urban Design Advisory Group got a glimpse of these concepts Friday as it examined the latest work of two design consultants, bridge architect Bradley Touchstone of Tallahassee, Fla., and illumination expert Faith Baum of Bloomfield, N.J.

The crossing office hired the two last fall, largely in response to criticism from Portland officials and others who felt the proposed bridge was flat, unimaginative and drab.

Touchstone has been working to provide a signature design for a project that could cost $3.5 billion or more for bridge, freeway and transit improvements.

Preserving views, providing a meaningful nighttime experience and making the crossing environmentally sustainable are among his design priorities, along with creating a project that both stands out and fits in.

"That iconic form should be something that is absolutely unique to this place," Touchstone said.

Baum said preliminary plans call for using white light, not different colors, to illuminate the structure from the inside out.

The goal is to juxtapose white light to provide a more subtle context and to enhance the environment’s natural color while still providing a lighting system that is easy to maintain and affordable to operate, she said.

"We want this bridge to look as beautiful 10 years from opening day as it does on opening day," Baum said.