By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation
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The man in charge of overseeing replacement of the $6 billion Interstate 5 bridge between Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., is resigning at the end of the year at a time when project proponents grapple for future funding. Greg Johnson, who worked four decades in transportation, moved from Michigan to Portland in 2020 to oversee the project but resigned for what he described as purely personal reasons. This comes as the head of the Oregon Department of Transportation Kris Strickler has resigned this month.
Tiffani Penson, who was overseeing the Rose Quarter freeway expansion project in Portland, has stepped down from her role recently as well. Penson’s resignation from the Oregon Department of Transportation occurred just eight months into her tenure.
Filling Greg Johnson’s job temporarily will be Carley Francis, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Southwest Region administrator.