Senator Murray Visits I-5 Bridge, Celebrates Recent Announcement of Nearly $1.5 Billion for Bridge Replacement Project with DOT and Local Officials

Sen. Murray has championed the I-5 Bridge Replacement project stretching back decades; helped establish and fund the Bridge Investment Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL); and pushed Biden admin repeatedly on importance of project - MORE HERE; VIDEO HERE of Senate Floor speech on IBR

ICYMI: Murray, Cantwell Announces Whopping $1.499 Billion Award for I-5 Bridge Replacement Project

***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

Vancouver, WA - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Washington state, and Oregon officials to celebrate the recent $1.499 billion award announced for the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project (IBR). Murray spoke at a press conference alongside FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt, Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Roger Millar, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03), IBR Program Administrator Greg Johnson, and Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler.

The IBR, the organization tasked with replacing the I-5 bridge connecting Portland and Southwest Washington, is receiving the $1.499 billion in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program (BIP), a grant program Senator Murray helped establish and fund in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Murray led a letter of support to Secretary Pete Buttigieg alongside Senator Cantwell and Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez in November of last year and has also spoken to the Secretary and other administration officials to make the case for IBR's grant application and robust Bridge Investment Program funding.

"I have championed this project just about as long as I have been in the Senate. That was back in the early 1990s-and it was already in sore condition," said Senator Murray. "And not only is this bridge overcrowded, not only is it over one hundred years old, it is also underprepared for an earthquake-which is not exactly an uncommon risk here. Traffic is frustrating enough-but that is downright dangerous."

"We can't just accept that as a status quo. But good things come to those who don't stopping pushing, and we have not stopped pushing. Thanks to these federal dollars we have brought back to the Pacific Northwest, the day we replace that bridge in the distance-is closer than ever. There is still a long road ahead-but with this latest funding announcement, we have passed another important mile marker," Murray continued.

The I-5 bridge is a linchpin in both the regional and national economy and plays a vital role in transporting freight along the I-5 corridor. IBR reports that $132 million worth of freight crossed the I-5 bridge daily in 2020. According to the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council an average of 131,747 vehicles crossed the bridge each weekday in 2021, including many of the 65,000 Clark County residents who work in Oregon. Despite the bridge's importance, it is rated the worst truck bottleneck in Washington and Oregon and the fifth-worst on the West Coast, with seven to 10 hours of slow-moving traffic during the morning and evening commute periods. Beyond this, there are significant issues with the aging bridge-one span is more than a century old and the other is more than 65 years old. Neither span has had a seismic retrofit, which is a significant concern in a region susceptible to earthquake activity: the entire structure is at risk of collapse in the event of a major earthquake.

Funding for the Bridge Investment Program comes from advance appropriations provisions that Senator Murray helped write into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as a senior appropriator, providing $9.235 billion over five years, and the Highway Trust Fund, providing $3.265 billion over five years-for a total of $12.5 billion over five years for the for the Bridge Investment Program. This Bridge Investment Program award follows a $600 million federal Mega Grant for the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project, which was also made possible by advance appropriations Senator Murray helped secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Murray's longtime leadership on the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project-encompassing her time as the top Democrat on the Transportation Appropriations subcommittee-includes passing into law a provision updating the Federal Transit Administration's evaluation process for multimodal projects like the I-5 Bridge Replacement to make them more competitive for federal funding; to this day the project is relying on the authorities Murray secured for the transit components of this project. A timeline of Senator Murray's longtime leadership on the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project over more than two decades is HERE. In December, after the $600 Mega Grant award for IBR, Senator Murray spoke on the Senate floor about the long fight to replace the I-5 Bridge-VIDEO HERE.

Senator Murray's full remarks as prepared are below:

I have championed this project just about as long as I have been in the Senate.

"I still remember meeting with Senator Hatfield from Oregon to talk about the I-5 crossing when I was first elected-that was back in the early 1990s, and it was already in sore condition.

"In 2003, I held a hearing in Vancouver, Washington-just across the river-to discuss why this project was so important. I remember warning about predictions that peak congestion would hit ten hours by 2020, and wouldn't you know it-today we have seven-to-ten-hours of slow-moving traffic during the morning and evening rush hours. That doesn't just slow billions of dollars in trade and commerce, it also steals countless hours from every person who sits here in traffic creeping along, when they could be home with family, or checking off a few errands, or even just reading a book or getting a rest-there are a million better ways we'd all like to spend our time!

"And not only is this bridge overcrowded. Not only is it over one hundred years old. It is also underprepared for an earthquake-which is not exactly an uncommon risk here. Traffic is frustrating enough-but that is downright dangerous. That means we have over 130 thousand cars a weekday and nearly 100 billion dollars of goods a year driving bumper to bumper across an antique that is at serious risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake. We can't just accept that as a status quo.

"But, much like the citizens on I-5, this bridge replacement project has been stuck in gridlock for too long.

"I should know, I have been inching this project forward every opportunity I can over the years. I remember securing tens of millions of dollars in federal funding back when this project was still being called the Columbia River Crossing. I remember sitting down with stakeholders and community leaders dozens of times and holding countless conversations. I remember passing a new provision into law to make the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project more competitive for federal funding. And of course-I remember when previous efforts fell apart, and we had to fight to keep this dream alive.

"But good things come to those who don't stopping pushing, and we have not stopped pushing.

"Last year, the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project received $600 million in federal funding from the Mega Grant Program which we created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and which I worked to fund with advance appropriations. And now we have another $1.5 billion coming from the Bridge Investment Program in our bipartisan bill. A program I helped establish with Senator Wyden-that we made sure to include and fund in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"Thanks to these critical federal dollars we have brought back to the Pacific Northwest, the day we replace that bridge in the distance is closer than ever.

"And as this event today proves-we have so many strong partners in Washington state-like Mayor Anne, and State Senator Cleveland, and many others-in Washington D.C., and in Oregon who are committed to seeing this through. That includes President Biden and Vice President Harris who have shown they understand just how vital the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project is to our states, the West Coast, and the entire nation.

"And remember, we are not just going to build a new bridge, we are going to make vital public transit improvements as well-like extending the light rail from Portland to Vancouver and making the crossing safer and more accessible for cyclists and pedestrians.

"We all know there is more work to do. There is still a long road ahead-but with this significant funding announcement, we have passed another important mile marker. And I am going to keep fighting to make sure we keep our foot on the gas, secure additional federal funding, and finish this project strong.

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