For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

Senator Murray convened a rare Senate field hearing to examine Southwest Washington & Portland Metropolitan regional transportation issues, including the I-5 bridge, regional congestion relief and river traffic. The hearing included four panels to discuss the challenges and solutions to improving congestion and getting goods and services to market.

As the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Murray chose Southwest Washington for the field hearing because of the concerns about the ability of the region’s infrastructure to support current and future growth. “Good jobs and continued economic development depend upon having the transportation infrastructure to sustain the region’s growth. This field hearing will be an opportunity to hear from local and national leaders on how to accomplish our transportation goals.” Murray's Full Statement