Via Planetizen: The Boston Globe reports that the state end of the “Big Dig” project came in at over $7B and interest costs will push that over $10B: “It is extremely important that we understand the effect that the Big Dig debt service has on overall transportation spending in Massachusetts,” said Representative David P. Linsky,…

Updated 7/14/12 Hayden Island neighbors have joined the lawsuit party… Updated 7/3/12, 7AM: Apparently today is the deadline for filing NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) suits for the project. Thompson Metal Fab has joined the party, suing over the height of the bridge. Original Post Looking a recent developments for the Columbia River Crossing: The…

There’s a post up today at Transportation for America that looks at key features of the just-signed Transportation Reauthorization Sausage. Included is this interesting item: 10. Tolling for new interstate lanes and HOV sleight-of-hand, and an emphasis on public-private partnerships Today states are not allowed to toll Interstate highways except under very limited and rare…

Sunday’s O includes an op-ed arguing that Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project suggests a process to reach consensus on the Columbia River Crossing? I’m not deeply familiar with this project. Is the deep bore tunnel (and associated projects) a good result? Does the process of building some kind of consensus yield any lessons for…

One of our correspondents attending the meeting at the Columbia River Crossing oversight committee at the Oregon Legislature reports that WSDOT officials said multiple times that construction would start at the “end of 2014”. While it was not acknowledged as such, that represents a year delay in previously communicated schedules.