The effort to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge spanning the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington recently received a key piece of funding with the announcement of a $1,499 Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program grant millions of dollars.
The $6 billion project to build a new Interstate 5 bridge spanning the Columbia River and connecting Oregon and Washington depended on the grant to help replace the existing 100-year-old overpass. The two existing structures are insufficient for current traffic volumes and are at risk of collapse in the event of a major earthquake.
“This grant underscores the strong federal support we have for interstate bridge replacement,” Kris Strickler, director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, said in a statement. “I-5 and the interstate bridge are essential to the prosperity of those who travel through our region and those who call it home.”
The nearly $1.5 billion grant joins the $600 million U.S. Department of Transportation Mega Grant, a $1 billion commitment made by both Oregon and Washington, and toll revenue expected to give the project the funding it needs to continue. The project also hopes to secure additional funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s capital investment grant program.
The $1 billion pledges that came from both the Oregon (2023) and Washington (2022) legislatures revived a project that began in 2019 after a failed attempt between the two states to replace the bridge in a project that lasted from 2005 to 2013.
“Awarding these grant dollars further solidifies the IBR program as a key national project for USDOT,” he says. Greg Johnson, IBR Program Administrator in a statement. “This funding marks another key milestone for the IBR program. We are an important step closer to providing a safe, multimodal and earthquake-resistant corridor that will better connect communities for decades into the future.”
With I-5 the only interstate connecting Mexico and Canada on the West Coast, it is also linked to some of the world’s largest ports, making the project not only a vital trade route both regionally and national, but also of international importance.
“Replacing the interstate bridge with a multimodal overpass is one of our highest priorities and ensures we are building a modern bridge for modern times,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement.
Currently, two nearly identical lift sections cross the river in Porland, Ore. The first was built primarily for horse and buggy traffic in 1917. The second opened in 1958, paid for by eight years of tolls. Over the past few decades, the current structures have struggled to meet the demands of growing traffic demands, have severe congestion during peak travel times, and have an accident rate more than three times the state average.
A major bi-state effort to replace the bridge, known as the Columbia River Crossing Project, ran from 2005 to 2013. After years of contention over design, traffic inclusion and budget, the project collapsed when the Washington state Senate decided to end funding for the project.
Six years later, the two state governors signed a bi-state Memorandum of Intent to restart work on the interstate bridge. The November 2019 agreement resulted in the formation of the IBR program to complete the planning, design and construction work of the bridge. The program is jointly run by the Oregon and Washington State Departments of Transportation in coordination with eight other bistate partner agencies.
“This historic federal investment clearly demonstrates that improving our aging transportation system is a national priority,” Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar said in a statement.
Pre-construction is scheduled to begin later this year with an estimated construction start date of 2026.
