I-5 Bridge Connecting Oregon, Washington Can Be Replaced Using Federal Funds

Continuing fears of damage, collapse during a possible earthquake

PORTLAND, Oregon (KOIN) – The old I-5 bridge connecting Oregon to Washington could get a replacement using federal funds from an infrastructure bill that was signed into law in November.

The bridge, which is an important point along the main shipping lane linking Portland to Vancouver, is more than 100 years old and was opened in 1917. According to KOIN 6 News partner The Portland Tribune, it rests on old underwater wooden poles making it prone to collapse or Extensive damage occurred during the earthquake.

Transportation officials want to replace the entire bridge with “a modern, multimodal, seismic-resilient structure,” the WSDOT website reads.

US Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) toured the bridge over the Columbia River on Wednesday. Mayor Van McNerney-Ogel of Vancouver and a representative of the I-5 Bridge Replacement Program joined the senator to discuss how to direct the funding.

Could a new bridge help Oregon meet its climate goals?

“That bridge needs to be replaced with a new transit system and that’s what we’ve been working on,” McInerney Ogle said. “Engineers tell us that the existing bridge will fail in the event of a Cascadia earthquake.”

That’s why Cantwell said she helped push for the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Joe Biden signed on November 15.

“We are here today because the federal government recently announced their standards because the federal government just announced what it calls the Mega Project program,” Cantwell said at the event on Wednesday.

There is $5 billion in the competitive program, which Cantwell described as a once-in-a-generation investment opportunity. The race is on to meet the standards and qualify the I-5 bridge replacement for those federal dollars, she said.

Dozens of ODOT bridges are in poor condition. Here is the list

Cantwell helps local officials apply for grants.

The Oregon and Washington Departments of Transportation are leading plans to replace the crossing that takes an estimated 138,000 drivers every day of the week.

Concepts for the new bridge aim to reduce carbon emissions and include improved access for cyclists and public transportation. The designs address ongoing major traffic jams along the route, and suggest more lanes to ease congestion.

However, officials said the fee is also on the table as a way to raise funding. ODOT will be responsible for the fees, according to a recent meeting of transportation officials.

Currently, Washington and Oregon split the cost of maintaining the bridge, estimated at about $1.2 million annually.

The two countries agreed to share the cost of the replacement, which is likely to be kept years away.

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