Site work for a bridge / tunnel in Portland, Oregon. Working plans call for site work for a bridge / tunnel.

https://bikeportland.org/2024/10/10/catching-up-on-the-interstate-bridge-freeway-project-with-je-amaechi-video-390463 The project to expand five miles of Interstate 5 between Portland and Vancouver and replace the Interstate Bridge reached a big milestone last month with the release of the federally-mandated Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program DEIS (actually the SDEIS in this case because it's a "supplemental" EIS that builds on the old EIS from the Columbia River Crossing project which was the precursor to the IBR) reveals key details about what we'll get for the estimated $7.5 billion price tag and it opens a public comment period that runs through November 18th. I plan to dive into the weeds of the active transportation infrastructure and other salient elements of the DEIS in future days and weeks, but to re-ignite our coverage of this megaproject, I interviewed someone who's deep in the activism trenches. Je Amaechi ("Jay A-may-chee") is a community organizer with Just Crossing Alliance, a coalition of dozens of environmental, transportation, and social justice nonprofits working to influence the project. Among the partner organizations is BikeLoud PDX, The Street Trust, No More Freeways, Oregon Trails Coalition, Oregon Walks, and others. "One thing all the members have in common is this urgent need to mitigate and adapt to climate change and the need to balance all the fiscal needs with all the other infrastructure priorities," Amaechi said during our video interview on Wednesday. Amaechi and her crew are working hard to educate our community about the project. Given the dizzying amount of information to get a handle on, Just Crossing Alliance has put together a helpful list of links to official public hearings and other events. Amaechi also wants to help log as many official comments as possible. Why? "These public comments are important is because it's building a record for potential future actions," she shared. "Public comments become part of the official record... so they can't say, 'Well, we didn't know this,' or, 'We weren't aware.'" The way I see it, comments like, "Don't build this bridge!" probably won't be very influential because at this point it doesn't look like anything can stop the project's inertia. So far Oregon and Washington departments of transportation have raised over $4 billion (split between federal grants and state allocations). Barring some unforeseen opposition or glitch, it will likely move forward eventually. Even Just Crossing Alliance isn't trying to stop the project. Their goal is to right-size it and bend project leaders -- and the elected officials who hold the pursestrings -- toward new perspectives and possibilities. When it comes to the DEIS, Amaechi said the over-arching concern is its "defeatist way of thinking." In other words, she thinks it assumes the status quo of car and truck-centric transportation will exist well into the future (projects and models in the DEIS are based on 2045). "This way of thinking limits the possibilities for this bridge and how it could serve a lot of different populations," she said. Amaechi says many folks are worried about the financial commitment this bridge demands -- both from our state coffers and from the pockets of everyday folks. Tolls will be a big part of the revenue picture, and those tolls are likely to hit some groups much harder than others if carveouts and subsidies aren't well-crafted. Then there's the simple fact that this is a massive expansion of freeway lanes and driving capacity. "The assumption that we have to build it in a Robert Moses-style freeway expansion way and the prioritization of car infrastructure: That's the thing that fundamentally we don't agree with and we say that there are better ways that we can design this bridge for a future that like more Portlanders want to see," Amaechi said. "This idea that we're alleviating congestion by adding lanes is something that has been disproven many, many times," she added. "And in fact, the opposite has been proven to be true. Induced demand is slightly mentioned [in the DEIS], but it's not addressed in a realistic way." Amaechi believes the modeling and design options laid out in the DEIS make it clear that DOTs on both sides of the river are planning for a future many Just Crossing Alliance partners and their supporters simply don't want. She acknowledges that people will continue to drive and need goods delivered by trucks in the future, but if our projects tilt too much toward serving those needs, we'll be locked into the same earth and community-destroying ways of life that have hastened climate catastrophe across the globe. With an investment of this size, we should build infrastructure that truly moves the needle for biking, walking and transit. Current plans for the bikeways begin on N Expo Road by Delta Park dog park, where the IBR will create a bike lane toward Expo Center to connect to new paths and bridges over the Columbia River. While the DEIS talks about shared-use paths and protected bikeways, Amaechi says it will take work to make sure the project builds excellent and safe bike infrastructure that is welcoming too all riders and skill levels. The new bridge is likely to be much higher than the existing one, requiring bike riders to scale some sort of long spiral ramp to reach the top. "For people who are new to biking, just looking at one of those spirals is very scary -- especially if they're talking about these things being 100 feet in the air." If you're curious how changes proposed in this project will connect (or not) to the existing bike network, sign up for "Riding Toward the Future: Exploring IBR's Impact on Active Transportation in Oregon." The ride is Saturday (10/12) at 3:00 pm and will be co-hosted by Oregon Walks, 40-Mile Loop, and The Street Trust. And stay tuned to BikePortland, the JCA's work and the official IBR website to stay engaged on this important project. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.opb.org/article/2024/09/20/interstate-bridge-oregon-washington-infrastructure-construction-traffic/ The group leading the Interstate Bridge replacement project released a document Friday that offers insights into how a new I-5 bridge between Oregon and Washington would change travel in the region. Select highlights from the analysis show tolling of the bridge is not expected to cause significant diversion to the Glenn Jackson Bridge, some areas of the Fort Vancouver site could be affected by the construction, and travel times during rush hour should improve if the bridge is built. The draft supplemental environmental impact statement is a massive analysis looking at various aspects of the bridge replacement, including how different bridge designs would affect the climate, travel times and tolling. Upon releasing the document, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program opened a 60-day public comment period, which allows the public to weigh in on the proposed changes and their effects. "This provides a baseline understanding of future conditions," the bridge group said in a statement. "The analyses within the document forecast conditions under multiple scenarios, including variances in design options, in the year 2045 considering growth and other development in the region." Tolls will be needed to offset the cost of building the bridge, which remains estimated between $5 billion and $7.5 billion, though project leaders said some designs of the bridge could cost as much as 7% more, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Tolling would start on the existing Interstate Bridge once construction begins but would be lifted each night between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during that building period, according to the document. Once completed, tolling would be in effect 24/7 and prices would vary based on congestion. Project leaders expect people may try to avoid the I-5 bridge during that construction period due to the combination of tolls and possible delays. That may lead to increased traffic on surface streets and the Glenn Jackson Bridge, according to the document. After the replacement bridge is built, estimates in the document show the Glenn Jackson Bridge may see about 7,000 more vehicles per day by 2045. That still equates to an overall reduction in traffic compared to a scenario where the Interstate Bridge wasn't built; analysts expect more trips across the river in the coming years but light rail proposed as part of the Interstate Bridge replacement will offset those increases. Travel congestion Overall, project leaders predict travelers in Oregon and Washington should be able to spend less time commuting once the new bridge is built. The total hours of congested traffic each day on the bridge by 2045 should fall by around 70% for southbound lanes from Vancouver to Portland, regardless of the bridge design. Northbound lanes should see a reduction in congestion hours between 36-57%, according to the analysis. One wrinkle in the improved travel times appears to be for bus users in Vancouver. People using the express bus from Vancouver to the Rose Quarter or downtown Portland will see their travel times tick up nine to 11 minutes on average by 2045. The expected increases are mostly due to traffic backups in the Rose Quarter, which won't be fixed by the Interstate Bridge replacement. "(Oregon Department of Transportation) will continue to work with partners to study the downstream bottleneck at the I-5/I-405 split in North Portland," Friday's report stated, "and identify potential solutions." Construction impacts Bridge planners estimate building the new span could displace as many as 47 residents and 36 businesses, particularly on Hayden Island. Construction would also likely require taking over about 9,300 square feet of East Delta Park in Portland, mostly from a vacant lot, as well as roughly 12,500 square feet of "narrow strips" along the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site's western and southern edges. Residences affected would include houseboats located near the bridge on Jantzen Beach. Planners expect docks that are there now will need to be removed for the larger bridge to be built. Businesses in that area, identified as "harbor shops" along North Center Avenue, will also be displaced. The amount that noise and temporary construction takeover in various areas along the travel corridor will affect some neighborhoods will depend on the ultimate design that bridge planners pursue. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.constructiondive.com/news/infrastructure-act-progress-dot/727540/ The Interstate Bridge connects Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. $1.4 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will go to replace its two aging vertical lift bridges. Courtesy of Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Listen to the article 3 min Dive Brief: Nearly three years into the five-year law, 40% of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds have been announced, indicating progress is still lagging, according to a fact sheet the DOT released Wednesday. It shows more than 60,000 construction projects are advancing with IIJA money. The $1.2 trillion federal IIJA, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November 2021, includes $550 billion in new money. Announced funding, captured from agency press releases, is preliminary and non-binding, whereas awarded funding represents actual obligations, per the White House. More than $480 billion from the IIJA has been announced, a 20% increase from $400 billion for over 40,000 projects in November 2023, according to the DOT. That’s up about 6% from $454 billion for 56,000 projects disbursed as of May, the law’s halfway mark. Dive Insight: Much of the law’s funding is available until expended, so it is expected to fuel construction projects past the five-year period. However, other funds are appropriated in specified amounts for specified fiscal years from 2022 to 2026. Former President Donald Trump has indicated he would defund some initiatives, such as clean energy programs, if he’s elected. Getting IIJA dollars where they need to go is not a simple task. Money from the sprawling law flows through more than 400 programs, channeled by a variety of federal, state and local entities. The largest portion of IIJA money is designated for road and bridge construction, according to White House data analyzed by CNBC, followed by rail, broadband, power and water projects. Per the new DOT sheet, IIJA funding has been announced for: 10,200 bridge projects. 1,100 airport projects. 500 port and waterway projects. 170 rail projects. 11,200 additional public transit projects. In addition, more than 175,000 miles of roadway are being updated thanks to the law, and 1,400 communities are improving road safety for people walking, biking and driving, according to the DOT sheet. In recent earnings calls, heads of AECOM, WSP, Jacobs, Balfour Beatty and Granite Construction said the infrastructure act is giving their businesses a boost. “Our [backlog] of $5.6 billion is a testament to the continued strong public and private market environment supported by the IIJA,” said Granite Construction CEO Kyle Larkin in the firm’s second-quarter earnings call in August. ___________________________________________ https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/fhwa-bridge-planning-grants-administrator-shailen-bhatt-interview/723850/ The planning grants follow the federal Department of Transportation’s rollout of $5 billion to fix more than a dozen aging bridges across the country with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Bridge Investment Program created by the infrastructure law has awarded a combined total of $7.4 billion to 78 projects in 38 states, according to FHWA. The funding has enabled the launch of 10,200 bridges projects nationwide, according to the agency. The grants will strengthen supply chains, Bhatt said, noting the one in Georgia and South Carolina will help make bridges that textile trucks once crossed stronger for the trucks that now haul automotive shipments across them. “The bridges in these areas aren’t able to support the weight of the trucks,” Bhatt said. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2024/08/08/interstate-i5-new-bridge-columbia-funding.html Just before 10 a.m. Thursday, sirens sounded to signal the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River was lifting. In the minutes it takes for the bridge to rise and drop back down, traffic backed up in both directions on the interstate that connects Oregon to Washington. Situations like these are what lawmakers from both states hope becomes a thing of the past when a new I-5 bridge is built. “There are tens of thousands of cars that sit in traffic here. There are Republicans and Democrats sitting in those cars, we don't check voter registration on our roadways. Our transportation system is one of the things that truly unites us as Americans,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt told stakeholders at an event Thursday morning. The Interstate Bridge Replacement project, once called the Columbia River Crossing, is one that has been in the making for decades now. But both states are now closer than ever to replacing the bridge that carries more than $130 million in goods across it every day, thanks in part to $1.5 billion in new funding announced in July. "I want to congratulate and thank our members of Congress in both states for making this a priority, and for continuing to advance this important program. Without leadership, projects and programs like this don't become a reality," said Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler. Not only is the bridge a century old, it's seismically vulnerable to a colossal earthquake that scientists expect to hit the region within the next couple of decades. If it hit now, the bridge would more than likely fail, disconnecting the Northern West coast from the Southern and causing major interruptions to freight and emergency services. According to project administrator Greg Johnson, the $1.5 billion awarded to the project last month brings its federal contributions to $2.1 billion. Oregon and Washington also each contributed $1.1 billion to the project, and Johnson said it could receive another $1 billion from a capital improvement grant in the next couple of years. Johnson also confirmed that the current estimated cost for the bridge is between $5 billion and $7.5 billion, though that’s subject to change, he said, because of inflationary pressure in the construction industry. Cost estimates for the project have only risen since estimates came in at $4.8 million in 2022. Stakeholders can expect at least two additional cost updates over the next few years, Johnson said, “as we see pricing and other issues that affect contractor pricing come to bear.” Tolling along the bridge will be another “integral” funding mechanism, Johnson said, and a bi-state committee will set the rates that could bring $1.1 billion in additional funding. But earlier this year, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek sent a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission saying plans to implement tolling on parts of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 were "uncertain at best" and its challenges "have grown larger than the anticipated benefits." The project also will extend MAX light rail transportation into Vancouver, add a new North Portland Harbor bridge, interchanges on Hayden Island and Marine Drive and a bridge between the island and Marine Drive. Construction is expected to begin as early as 2026. ____________________ https://www.dailytidings.com/portland-vancouver-i-5-bridge-gets-extra-1-5-million-in-federal-funding-to-replace-vertical-lifts/ Portland-Vancouver I-5 Bridge Gets Extra $1-5 Million In Federal Funding To Replace Vertical Lifts Federal Funding To Upgrade Ageing Bridges Sourced from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law signed by Biden in 2021 allocating $40 billion to bridges over five years, the funding is the biggest dedicated bridge investment in decades. While campaigning for reelection against Trump, Biden highlighted the infrastructure law that will see dozens of aging bridges in 16 states replaced or upgraded. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed that the bridges affect entire areas, ultimately impacting the economy of the whole country. To help keep people safe and keep supply chains running smoothly, the brides needed urgent major investment. Further investment will be necessary as the American Road & Transportation Builders Association estimates bridge repairs across the U.S. will cost $319 billion. _________________________ The Interstate Bridge Replacement program has been awarded an additional $1.499 billion in federal funding to move the project toward construction. The funding, announced Friday, comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program. It adds to a $600 million award earlier this year from the U.S Department of Transportation’s Mega grant program. “This is the largest single source of funding that we have received thus far,” Greg Johnson, administrator of the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program, said in an interview Friday. “It signals that the folks in [Washington,] D.C. at the U.S. DOT are very confident in how we are moving this program forward,” he added. “We are doing some unique things that have garnered their attention. Our focus on equity and climate, and making this a multimodal corridor, I think, is what they are looking for in an investment. This is a vote of confidence in the things that we are doing.” IBR officials are seeking more than $2.5 billion in federal grants, combined with $1 billion each from the states of Oregon and Washington and funding from tolls to build the project, which has a $6 billion price tag that is only expected to grow. “This is fantastic news for the state of Oregon,” Gov. Tina Kotek stated. “This infusion of federal funds will promote regional and national economic growth and support local jobs and broader workforce opportunities. Building this multimodal bridge also moves us closer to meeting our state, regional and national goals of reducing carbon emissions and curbing the effects of climate change.” The funding will help push the project toward the first phase of construction: the bridge itself. A long list of highway expansions and connections in both states will follow. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, in a news release, stated that project backers “have been working tirelessly with our Oregon partners to demonstrate the bistate commitment to get this done for the people of both states and the nation.” The next milestone in the program is a draft supplemental environmental impact statement. The key environmental analysis will kick off a public comment period. A record of decision could be obtained as early as fall 2025. Johnson thanked Oregon and Washington’s congressional delegations, and business interests on both sides of the Columbia River, for shoring up support for the massive project. “None of this gets done in a vacuum,” Johnson said. “This is a joint effort.” The Interstate Bridge’s northbound span opened in 1917 and is viewed by state officials as vulnerable to destruction in a major earthquake. The southbound span opened in 1958. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/03/07/interstate-5-bridge-columbia-river-new-construction What's next for a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River headshot Melissa Santos Share on facebook (opens in new window) Share on twitter (opens in new window) Share on linkedin (opens in new window) Share on nextdoor (opens in new window) Share on email (opens in new window) The Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia river is shown with a clear blue sky The current bridge isn't built to modern seismic standards. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios A new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River is expected to begin construction in 2026, after the project recently snagged a $600 million federal transportation grant. Why it matters: The current I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington carries more than 130,000 vehicles a day. But it isn't built to modern standards and could collapse in an earthquake. Friction point: The bridge also causes major traffic backups when its moveable span rises to let boats pass beneath. Project officials say the river crossing between Portland and Vancouver is the only part of I-5 from Canada to Mexico where vehicles must stop at a red light. The big picture: The recent $600 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is enough to cover about 8–12% of the project's estimated cost of $5 billion to $7.5 billion. Yes, but: Combined with other money already identified, the project is somewhere between half and two-thirds of the way toward being fully funded. Washington and Oregon have each committed about $1 billion, while another $1.2 billion is expected to come from tolling revenue, per a presentation made to the bridge project's executive steering group on Tuesday. Caveat: A new cost estimate for the bridge is expected this summer, which may change the overall price tag. Project officials are seeking up to $2.5 billion in additional federal money to cover the remaining gap. What they're saying: "The $600 million federal grant is a crucial step towards starting construction in 2026 because it sets us up for additional funding from the federal package in the next few months," Oregon state Rep. Susan McLain (D-Hillsboro), who co-chairs the Legislature's Joint Transportation Committee, said in a written statement. Catch up quick: The new bridge is expected to have wider vehicle lanes, a light rail line and a new path for pedestrians and bicyclists. Beyond that, however, its design is in flux as the project undergoes a lengthy environmental review process. "This is going to be a bigger bridge than currently exists — we know that," bridge program administrator Greg Johnson said at Tuesday's steering group meeting. "It's going to carry more types of transportation." Zoom in: Project officials are still comparing three different configurations. Two options, a double-level bridge or a wider single-level bridge, wouldn't rise to let boats through, avoiding the problem of freeway traffic backups. Either option is expected to be much taller than the current bridge, providing an estimated 116 feet of vertical clearance for boat passage, compared to 72 feet under today's bridge when it's not raised. A third option would include a moveable span allowing boats up to 178 feet tall to pass through. The U.S. Coast Guard has pushed for this, and the current bridge accommodates it when it's lifted. What's next: The bridge program plans to release a draft environmental impact statement sometime this spring, which will kick off a 60-day public comment period. After that, Johnson said, his team would recommend one of the three bridge configurations, with a final decision expected late this year or early in 2025. __________________________________________________________ Replace bridge control equipment to ensure safety and flow of traffic. Washington Department of Transportation is paying 50% of the total project. Mileposts : 3.20 to 10.80 Length : 7.60 Route : I-5 As of May 7 2025 the project is in Final planning status. Anticipated Fiscal year is 2025. ODOT - I-5: Interstate bridge control equipment (Portland) *Project information has been obtained through a public state transportation improvement plan (STIP). A STIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the STIP often evolves based on funding availability. The project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.