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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Oregon Legislature. This is a venue for political and policy coverage of the state government in Salem and its impact on the people of Oregon.

Despite Phone Call, Governors Say No Plans To Restart I-5 Bridge Project

Colin Fogarty
/
Northwest News Network
File photo of the Interstate Bridge that carries Interstate 5 across the Columbia River between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown discussed a potential new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River during a phone call this week. Inslee mentioned his conversation with Governor Brown during an interview with the editorial board of the Columbian newspaper in Vancouver.

"We both know how important this span is,” Inslee said. “We both know we're going to have to develop consensus in this community to move forward. And I'm hopeful, I'm going to look for any way I can to help that happen."

A spokeswoman for Inslee said Tuesday that a revival of the project is not imminent. A spokeswoman for Brown said, "the ball is in Washington's court" when it comes to the I-5 bridge.

The two states had previously taken initial steps toward replacing the aging twin spans. But the project was canceled when Washington lawmakers failed to approve a funding plan in 2013.