Officials say they are driving in the right direction after securing nearly $1.5 billion in new federal funding to replace the century-old Interstate 5 Bridge.
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both D-Wash., and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, announced Friday that the federal funding dedicated to the I-5 Bridge replacement now covers a third of the estimated $6 billion price tag. This latest grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program.
The trio have been vocal proponents of securing funds to replace the deteriorating bridge.
“This is a monumental win for Southwest Washington — now, with the biggest federal transportation award in Washington state history, replacing the I-5 Bridge is finally going to be a reality,” Murray said in a Friday morning statement.
Cantwell said in a statement the award follows a $600 million federal grant awarded in December, bringing the total federal funding to $2.1 billion. Oregon and Washington have also each committed $1 billion to the project.
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity for all of us,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said Friday. “We’ve been working on the project for years, and this is one of those pieces that we really needed to push this project forward. We’re dancing in the streets.”
Local improvement
According to a cost breakdown from the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, the largest chunk of the estimated cost will go to replacing the bridge itself — up to $2.45 billion.
The remaining funds will be spent on transit investment ($1.32 billion to $1.99 billion) and on Oregon and Washington interchanges, roadways and shared-use paths ($1.05 billion to $1.57 billion for work in Oregon and $990 million to $1.49 billion for work in Washington).
Although the bridge replacement carries a hefty price tag, officials say the project will improve the local economy.
“We’re now one major step closer to getting the I-5 Bridge replaced and powering good, family-wage trades jobs in Southwest Washington,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement.
Cantwell said replacing the bridge will relieve local traffic congestion and drive economic growth along the West Coast. She added the project can now begin the bidding process that will bring in construction companies, which would boost the Pacific Northwest’s economy.
Greg Johnson, administrator of the bridge replacement program, said staying local is a priority when seeking contractors for the bridge project. However, they will open up the bidding process nationally. The program includes 28 contracts.
“The local contracting community in both states are very interested in participating,” Johnson said. “We know that some of this work will be larger and beyond their capability. So we will see some national firms building some of the larger, more complex pieces.”
Next steps
Johnson said the replacement program plans to release a draft copy of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement later this year.
It has already been delayed twice.
The statement is a critical milestone that looks at the benefits and impacts of the proposed bridge plan, including on the environment and affected properties.
Johnson said the program is in the process of applying for another grant — the Capital Improvement Grant funded through the Federal Transit Administration —worth $1 billion. He said the grant application process requires the bridge team to demonstrate the project is needed, among other criteria. He added the funding will help fill the remaining gaps in the budget.
Johnson said the federal funding is moving the project in the right direction, and the replacement program hopes to start construction by early 2026.
“Getting a grant of this size and magnitude is a show of confidence from our federal partners that we’re on the right track,” Johnson said.
