01.15.25

Cantwell Secures Commitment From Trump DOT Nominee To Continue Funding Major Infrastructure Projects Like I-5 Bridge Replacement

Cantwell has helped secure over $2.1B in federal funds toward replacing the century-old span connecting Vancouver and Portland, but money has yet to be formally turned over to IBR project

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, secured a commitment from Sean Duffy –President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Transportation – to honor the federal funding that’s been allocated by the Biden administration to projects already underway, including replacing the I-5 bridge between Vancouver and Portland.

During Duffy's confirmation hearing before the committee, Sen. Cantwell pressed the nominee on continuing support for projects already receiving federal funds.

“I mentioned the I-5 bridge when we spoke -- the infrastructure investment that's already been planned, that the money has been [allocated] and it's on its way to doing the work. Will you commit to helping complete these projects and continue the funding?” Sen. Cantwell asked.

“That are underway? Yes,” Duffy responded. “One of the complaints I've heard from the committee is oftentimes the money is not moving fast enough. There's been questions about why it's taking so long. So yes, I'd love to work with you and make sure the money gets out the door to the projects that are underway.”

Sen. Cantwell pressed him again in a second round of questioning about honoring grants allocated under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL): “It really becomes an agreement between DOT and the applicant -- both of their commitments to move forward. So, are you going to honor those commitments?”

Duffy responded: “I would anticipate honoring those commitments, especially if the law has been followed and the agreements are being met. I think I might get some backlash from this Committee if you're halfway through a project and there's an effort to pull funding. So no, projects are going well, fundings flowing, and the deal is being met. I don't see an issue with that.”

Video of today’s hearing is available HERE; a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s opening statement and Q&A portion is HERE.

Sen. Cantwell has been a leading national voice for replacing the I-5 bridge. She created the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, or Mega program, with the I-5 bridge in mind. In December 2023, the project was awarded $600 million, the largest-ever grant through the program. In July 2024, the project received $1.5 billion in federal funds from the Bridge Investment Program (BIP), which was funded through the BIL. Federal grants announced so far, accounting for over $2.1 billion, will fund approximately a third of the estimated $5-7.5 billion total bridge replacement project cost. Of the estimated remaining cost, approximately $1 billion remains eligible for funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program; the rest will come from state and local sources.

A one-pager on Sen. Cantwell’s history of leadership establishing the Mega program in the BIL, as well as championing the I-5 bridge replacement project overall, is available HERE.

The I-5 bridge is a crucial 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 Bureau of Transportation Statistics, an estimated total of $97 billion in goods traveled by truck either from Washington to Oregon or California, or from Oregon or California to Washington in 2022. The route is also vital to international exporters; in 2021, nearly $2 billion worth of goods from California and $750 million worth of goods from Oregon were trucked to Canada via the I-5 corridor. 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’s rated the worst truck bottleneck in Washington and the fifth-worst on the West Coast, with seven to 10 hours of congestion during the morning and evening commute periods.

In addition, there are significant issues with the aging existing 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. Moreover, simply maintaining the existing structure is expensive. Annual maintenance costs are about $1.2 million per year and larger maintenance projects needed to simply maintain the bridge are expected to cost $280 million by 2040 – not including the cost of a seismic retrofit, which would be substantial. Today, these maintenance costs are split equally between the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

In August 2024, Sen. Cantwell joined Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt to celebrate the $1.5 billion BIP grant. Video of that press conference is available HERE, audio HERE, photos HERE, and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks HERE. 

In January 2024, Sen. Cantwell held a roundtable discussion with local leaders, stakeholders, and other federal officials. The group toured the I-5 bridge and discussed future funding opportunities for completion of the replacement project. [PRESS RELEASE | PHOTOS]

In spring of 2022, Sen. Cantwell toured the I-5 bridge along with local and regional leaders; photos of that tour are available for download HERE and video is HERE.

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