PORTLAND, Ore. — Iron Partners LLC, a maritime manufacturing and metal fabrication company, has filed a lawsuit to stop the Federal Highway Administration and related agencies from building a fixed-span bridge across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington.
Company Says 116-Foot Clearance Is Insufficient for River Navigation
The company, which owns property and facilities along the Columbia River in both Oregon and Washington, is concerned that the planned 116-foot fixed-span clearance bridge is insufficient to serve industrial and navigation activities on the waterway.
Iron Partners, with properties in Clackamas County and Vancouver, operates water-dependent heavy equipment and industrial facilities on the river. It builds large structures such as offshore drilling platforms and bridge components, and relies on a tall bridge to move its equipment along the river.
Iron Partners is concerned that a 116-foot fixed bridge span will be inadequate for ships to pass under and will create an unreasonable navigation obstruction under the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and the General Bridge Act of 1946…