$600M in federal funding to go toward replacing I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington
PORTLAND, Ore. — The program, which is tasked with replacing the century-old Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, Oregon, to southwestern Washington and serves as a vital transportation and commerce link, is expected to receive $600 million in federal funds, members of the state convention Friday.
Democratic U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray of Washington and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez announced the funding.
The bridge crosses the Columbia River and is an important part of I-5, which spans the entire West Coast. According to regional transportation agencies, traffic congestion is common, with more than 130,000 vehicles passing through it every day.
“There are projects that are so big and so expensive that they are often not financed, but they are the linchpin of an economy that literally has regional and national significance for them. And the I-5 bridge is a perfect example of that,” Cantwell told The Associated Press. Such projects need federal financial support, she said.
The outdated bridge is in danger of collapsing in the event of an earthquake. The funding will go toward building a replacement that is seismically resilient.
“There's no way a 100-year-old bridge is going to continue to grow with the capacity and demand that we have,” Cantwell told the AP. “This will be an important investment to help change that.”
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program will receive the money as part of a federal Department of Transportation grant initiative.
Murray, Washington's other U.S. senator, has advocated for the project for decades and considers it a top priority.
“I am nothing short of ecstatic that Washington State can count on a truly historic influx of federal dollars,” she said in a joint press release with Cantwell and Gluesenkamp Perez.
Officials in Oregon also welcomed the funding. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley described it as a “game changer” that will “increase seismic resilience in the region and ensure safer, faster and more reliable transportation for generations to come.”
The money will come from the federal National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, which was created by the bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021. Also known as the Mega Program, it supports projects that are too large or complex for traditional financing programs .
The $600 million will cover between 8 and 12% of the total estimated bridge replacement costs, which could reach $7.5 billion, Washington congressmen said.