Marion County backs Salem River Crossing "Salem Alternative," citing safety and cost gains

The Marion County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 15 to approve a resolution supporting the Salem River Crossing – the "Salem Alternative" – and the Oversight Team's policy statements after a presentation from county, city and state project staff. County Engineer Cindy Schmitt introduced City of Salem Transportation Planning Manager Julie Warnecke and Oregon Department of Transportation Senior Planner Dan Fricke, who described the alternative and next steps.

Project staff said the Salem Alternative evolved from Alternative 4D after city council changes and further analysis; they estimated the Salem Alternative would cost about $400 million compared with a draft EIS estimate of $682 million for Alternative 4D. Julie Warnecke said the Salem City Council had voted unanimously in June 2013 to support the Salem Alternative and that subsequent analysis produced refinements. Dan Fricke said once the Oversight Team identifies a preferred alternative, completing the Environmental Impact Statement and related work would take roughly 12 to 18 months, with the Federal Highway Administration's Record of Decision as the final federal action; land-use approvals and finance strategy remain to be decided.

Commissioner Sam Brentano said he preferred the Salem Alternative and cited a past suicide attempt that temporarily closed crossings as evidence of the area's vulnerability and the need to preserve freight mobility and emergency access, saying the incident "was a real eye-opener" about how much Marion County relies on the bridges. Commissioner Patti Milne said she also preferred the Salem Alternative but emphasized that her support is based on current information and that public input and future decisions could change parts of the plan. Commissioner Janet Carlson moved the resolution; Commissioner Milne seconded and the voice vote was unanimous. The board read the resolution aloud following the vote.

Project staff identified potential funding approaches including tolling, a local option vehicle registration fee, local option gas tax, and property tax; they said no state or federal commitments have been secured and that the Salem Keizer Area Transportation Study (SKATS) MPO and the Collaborative Environmental and Transportation Agreement for Streamlining (CETAS) are among approvals still required. The Oversight Team will make a final recommendation in February and staff cautioned that design, right-of-way acquisition and phased construction could extend the overall schedule.