A bill (HB2696) is advancing in the Oregon state legislature to support a proposed investor-financed 12-mi., 2x2 lane toll road — the Coastal Parkway — on the southwestern part of the Portland metro area.
The proposed Coastal Parkway starts at I-5 some 24 mi. south of downtown Portland and provides a new 12-mi. link to OR99W near McMinnville/Dayton.
The toll road itself would initially serve traffic between Portland and the coast about 50 mi. away on OR18 bypassing a heavily congested northern portion of OR99W.
The bill expresses support for the expressway project and provides for approval of other such private projects if the proposers meet the terms of the 2007 Tollways law.
Bob Youngman of Coastal Parkway LLC told Tollroad News says the proposal is a generic bill to provide for investor built projects across the state, but hopes the Coastal Parkway project will be the first built.
Most of the new toll road would be located in flat farmland and would require building a new bridge over the Williamette River. Youngman says project can be built for $300-$350 million.