Lawmakers: I-5 bridge funds hard to win

Members of Congress from Oregon and Washington state say it’s unlikely the federal government will put up as much money as local backers hope for a new bridge across the Columbia River.

Planners have assumed the congressional delegation from the two states could bring home $400 million to $600 million to replace the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver, Wash.

Commuters and West Coast shippers and truckers call the current six-lane bridge a bottleneck.

A replacement is expected to cost upward of $4 billion, if built as planned with 12 lanes and light-rail trains.

But, using similar language, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, both Democrats, caution against expecting a large federal share of the funding.

DeFazio called it “an extraordinarily heavy lift.”

“We all have to be very realistic,” said Murray. “Under all scenarios, it’s a huge, massive lift.”

The two Democrats are on key congressional committees for transportation. Similar caution comes from Democratic Rep. Brian Baird, whose district includes Vancouver.

The congressional delegations cite competition for highway dollars, a shortfall in gasoline tax revenues as Americans drive less, sentiment against earmarked legislation, and the budget pressure of the proposed $700 billion financial bailout.

Earlier this month, the federal highway trust fund was near insolvency, but Congress and President Bush agreed on an $8 billion fix.

Less federal money would highlight the importance of tolls, which most local officials assume will be necessary for a new bridge.

And less federal money could work against the sentiment among Portland leaders for an eye-catching “signature” bridge design.

DeFazio suggested scaling back improvements for six highway interchanges, which account for about a third of the project’s cost.

“There is less federal interest in local interchanges than there is in the project itself over the river,” DeFazio said.