A new Interstate 5 Bridge could displace 43 residences and 36 businesses but also create 43,000 jobs.
Those are some of the details outlined in the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s 10,000-page draft supplemental environmental impact statement released Friday.
The document studies the proposed new bridge’s potential effects on transportation, the environment and the local community. Its release is a prerequisite for construction to begin under the National Environmental Policy Act, and it marks a critical milestone for the program.
“Mega projects are filled with moments of frustration and very few moments of joy,” program administrator Greg Johnson said at a Friday press conference. “This is one of those moments of joy.”
The report examines how people and the environment might be impacted by the construction of a “modified locally preferred alternative” — that is, a set of components that all 10 government agencies involved agreed to evaluate. The document also examines the potential effects of not replacing the bridge.
At Friday’s press conference, program officials outlined some of the “high-level” findings from the document.
For example, the report found that any proposed bridge replacement could reduce crashes by 13 to 17 percent by 2045. Conversely, if the bridge is not replaced, crashes could increase by 28 percent by 2045, the report states.
Additionally, with the inclusion of light rail, express bus and pedestrian facilities, proposed replacements could see a 35 percent increase in the number of people who cross the bridge per day in 2045. Meanwhile, proposed replacements would reduce the number of daily vehicle crossings in 2045 from 180,000 to 175,000, according to the report. Today, roughly 143,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily.
Proposed replacements could also reduce travel times for drivers. For example, a 12.5-mile trip from Interstate 205 in Washington to Interstate 405 in Oregon is estimated to take roughly 100 minutes on average by 2045 if the bridge is not replaced. With the modified locally preferred alternative, it would take roughly 64 to 80 minutes on average, the report states.
Transit investments could see a 96 percent increase in the number of transit riders crossing the bridge daily by 2045, meaning some 12,500 people would be using transit to cross the bridge on weekdays, according to the report.
Public comment
The final bridge design is far from settled, and program officials want to hear from the public.
A 60-day public comment period began Friday following the release of the document. Responses will help inform technical analysis and design options and will refine the preferred alternative, Johnson said.
“Public engagement has been a hallmark of this program from the very beginning, and we want to make sure that community members have their voices heard,” Johnson said. “The public’s input is crucial for the success of the (Interstate Bridge Replacement) program and will help ensure that what we build reflects the priorities and desires of the local community.”
The full document is posted on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s website including a 60-page executive summary available in multiple languages. The website also includes tools and videos to help people understand the document and how to comment on it.
All comments will be included as part of the formal record and must be submitted in one of several ways:
- Online at www.interstatebridge.org/DraftSEIS.
- By email at draftseis@interstatebridge.org. Please include “Draft SEIS public comment” in the subject line.
- By phone at 866-IBR-SEIS (427-7347). Please include “Draft SEIS” in your message.
- By mail at Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, Attention: Draft SEIS public comment, 500 Broadway, Suite 200, Vancouver, WA 98660.
- Two in-person and two virtual formal public hearings will be held in October. The in-person events will be in Vancouver (Oct. 15 at Clark College) and Portland (Oct. 17 at the Portland Expo Center). The in-person public hearings will also include informational open houses.
All comments received during the 60-day period will be recorded and responded to in the final supplemental environmental impact statement, which is expected to be published in late 2025 along with an amended record of decision. That will provide federal authorization for the program to begin construction, which could begin as early as late 2025.
