Washington did its part, and now Oregon lawmakers have authorized $1 billion to help pay to replace the Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland.
The measure that includes authorization for four rounds of $250 million bonds, which will still need to be approved by three future legislatures, passed both Oregon chambers by large majorities, but not before Democratic Representative Khanh Pham raised concerns the bonds would be paid with transportation funds not with general fund money, which she says is also needed for things like affordable housing and crumbling schools. Pham says “We heard from teachers, who talked about teaching in crowded classrooms, with 39 teenagers, with broken HVAC systems, extreme heat or extreme cold and lack of air circulation.”
Democratic Representative Susan McLain urged colleagues to seize what she calls a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to secure grants from the federal Infrastructure law. “The Interstate Bridge is a critical regional, and national, and international transportation link,” McLain says, “Replacement of the bridge is vital for environmental, equity and economic improvements.”
The current cost estimate for the project is $5 billion to $7.5 billion dollars with the hope for at least $2 billion in federal grants. Tolls expected to be between $2 and $4 will ultimately pay for the bridge replacement bonds.
The Interstate Bridge project missed the cut for the last round of federal grants. Applications for the next round are due this summer.
The project is still on track to break ground in late 2025. It’s currently in part of the environmental review process. Some estimates peg the project at 20 years before it’s completed.
