The next few months will clarify whether the massive bridge replacement project will secure the funding to move forward as planned.
A major interstate bridge project in Oregon and Washington received its final federal environmental approvals, marking a significant step forward for the project, reports Ryan Packer in The Urbanist.
"That said, lawmakers remain well short of the full $13.5 to $15.2 billion needed to finish the entire corridor overhaul," Packer adds.
The additional infrastructure in the proposal includes a new stretch of I-5, tolling infrastructure and a light rail expansion into Washington. The light rail component is dependent on a $1 billion federal grant that likely won't be awarded until 2030. "Instead the bridge will be built as "light rail ready," with train service not set to begin until 2036 or later." Packer explains that light rail has been one of the most contentious pieces of this project, with officials divided on where stations should be placed and how far it should extend.
"Even as these internal debates still dominate the process surrounding the IBR, the one thing most elected officials across all levels of government seem to agree on is that now is the time to move forward. With the project now on the cusp of awarding its first construction contracts, the months ahead will make it clear whether Washington and Oregon have truly passed the point of no return on the IBR."
Read the full story: I-5 Expansion Over Columbia River Stumbles Forward with Federal Greenlight
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