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The would be one of almost 200 businesses or homeowners forced to move if a proposed $630 million bridge were built to connect West Salem to Interstate 5.

Mike Erdmann, the association’s executive director, said he wouldn’t mind moving his office from Taylor Street Northeast.

鈥淭hat’s the price of progress,鈥� he told Salem City Council on Tuesday. 鈥淲e’re not building for now. We’re building for 30 or 40 years from now.鈥�

Few people at a public hearing about the Salem River Crossing agreed with Erdmann. Approximately 60 people attended to express opposition to the project, and many wore badges with the words 鈥渢hird bridge鈥� crossed out.

鈥淚t’s a giant, giant infrastructure footprint on a very, very fragile neighborhood,鈥� said Darlene Strozut, a representative of the . 鈥淚t’s the neighborhood that can least afford concrete barricades and flyover overpasses.鈥�

So many people wanted to speak in opposition of the project that councilors decided to extend the public hearing to Dec. 10. First, councilors will hold a work session Nov. 28 to further discuss the bridge.

Highland is a north Salem neighborhood along Keizer’s southern edge. It has older homes and many low-income residents, but Curt Fisher told councilors it is one of Salem’s most significant residential neighborhoods.

Highland is 鈥渞esilient walkable鈥� 鈥� an industry term used to describe a gentrified neighborhood conducive to walking and mass transit. Although such neighborhoods represent only 15 percent of the housing market, Fisher said they are driving the homebuilding recovery.

He pointed out that the proposed Mount Hood Freeway (a project abandoned in 1974 after massive community outcry) would have decimated Southeast Portland neighborhoods. Now the area has some of the most coveted real estate in the city.

鈥淭he way I look at it, this is an example of social engineering out of the 1950s,鈥� Fisher said. 鈥淥ther communities have been doing this for 60 years. We know how this story ends.鈥�

West Salem also would be scarred by the bridge, Karen Sjogren said, because it would connect to what is now a mostly rural section of Wallace Road Northwest.

鈥淚t’s a very pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, and I want to keep it that way,鈥� she said.

Alvin Saul lives near the tiny community of Hopewell, northwest of Salem, and regularly drives along Wallace Road. He said he has been hearing talk of a bridge since 1952, but people are always missing the point.

鈥淵ou could build five bridges, and you’d still have bottlenecks,鈥� he said.

Exactly, said Keith Kohan, a West Salem resident.

鈥淭he problem is not with the bridges. The problem is with the feeder streets,鈥� he said.

Traffic accumulates on Commercial and Edgewater streets as well as Wallace Road during peak periods, Kohan said, but the problems are overdramatized.

鈥淚f you’ve ever lived in New Jersey, this is a joke of a traffic jam,鈥� he said.

City officials could do a lot more with $630 million, he added.

鈥淲e could have bus service to everyone’s front door,鈥� he said.

Councilors are considering a recommendation forwarded to them by the Salem River Crossing Task Force. Members met for six years and spent $5 million before they voted 10-7 to recommend the new bridge.

Salem has two one-way bridges that connect West Salem to the rest of the community.

John Miller, president of the , echoed Erdmann’s warning that city officials must look to the future.

鈥淲e want to make sure we don’t have gridlock in 10 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re not saying this is a slam dunk, full speed ahead. There are a lot of questions to be answered.鈥�