Project I-5

Project I-5

TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING

The Public Affairs Committee works diligently on your behalf to ensure business owners and community members, are represented when it comes to progressive thinking and changes proposed by our legislature and local jurisdictions. Don Russo of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, and Nelson Holmberg of Southwest Washington Contractor’s Association (SWCA), Co- Chairs of the Committee, guide the conversations to cover topics relevant to our members. Here are a few updates from our Co-Chairs regarding the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project.

PURPOSE & IMPORTANCE: EVALUATING THE NEED

In July, Frank Green, a structural engineer with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), appeared at the Public Affairs Sub-Committee meeting that focuses on the Bridge Replacement Project. In addition to reviewing the inventory of planning data, Frank reviewed the purpose and need for the replacement bridge by using the following rationale: Growing travel demands and congestion, vehicle safety, impaired freight movement, limited public transportation options, limited bicycle and pedestrian facilities for crossing the Bridge, as well as seismic vulnerability.

Some important evaluations include that the south bound lanes exceed 60 years, while the north bound lanes are now over 100 years old. Also, as many know, the Interstate Bridge is the only lift span bridge on the I-5 corridor from Mexico to Canada. The annual cost in operations and maintenance for the Bridge is the sum of $1.2M. Further, by the year 2040, capital maintenance on the Bridge will amount to $282M. The 2019 legislature provided $35M in funding aimed toward replacement: $17.5M for a local project, and an equal sum for the commencement of the planning process.

UNITING WASHINGTON & OREGON

The next steps include engaging the key stakeholders, including representatives from both Washington and Oregon. In Washington, those stakeholders include WSDOT, City of Vancouver, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), and C-Tran. In Oregon, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), City of Portland, Metro, and Tri-Met. Mr. Green noted that coordination and collaboration between the stakeholders in Washington and Oregon are imperative.

Going forward, it is important to note that much of the prior geo-tech work and the archeological work from the last go-around is still valuable and there is no need to have this work redone. Mr. Green predicts that both Washington and Oregon will jointly petition the federal government for an extension on the advance of federal funds to avoid having to pay those funds back. The Replacement Bridge Team’s first progress report is due to the Washington Legislature on or before December 1, 2019.

TEN YEARS FROM NOW

The steps we’re taking, as well as the stakeholders’, are moving progress forward to work toward the common goals of safety and economic development on behalf of both Washington and Oregon.

With these joint efforts, a timeline on moving forward can be broken down by the following estimations:

• 3-5 years to complete environmental work

• 3-5 years to obtain federal approval for project construction, as it takes about $50M- $100M to get a project to this point

• 4-5 years to complete right-of-way acquisitions

In the case of this progress going according to plan, we could be driving on a new Interstate Bridge in the short timeline of about ten years.

The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and the Public Affairs Committee, believe it is important to continue to express the need for a replacement bridge and to use every opportunity to work with our partners in Oregon.

If you have any questions, or would like to contribute to the conversation, please connect with us at YourChamber@VancouverUSA.com, subject line “PAC I-5 Bridge.”