Interstate Bridge Replacement Program joint statement from Governors Kotek and Ferguson

Oregon and Washington remain fully committed to replacing the 109-year-old Interstate Bridge. The bridge represents a critical connection between our two states, and is vulnerable to collapse in a major earthquake. The Environmental Impact Statement states: "This collapse potential is due to the fact that hundreds of timber bridge support piles sit within loose sand that can liquefy during an earthquake."

While costs have increased due to a variety of factors, the need to replace this outdated bridge has not changed - and delaying action only increases risk and expense.

With the exciting news of the Coast Guard's recent approval of a fixed-span bridge, we have the momentum to move forward and begin construction on the first, core set of projects that will allow us to deliver a safer, more earthquake-ready bridge, connect the bridge to Interstate 5, and extend light rail service to Vancouver. This approach allows us to invest the available federal and state funds into our economies, deliver the core components of this critical bistate infrastructure program quickly, and create thousands of good paying jobs to get Oregonians and Washingtonians to work delivering a project decades in the making. This approach also allows for future completion of the additional projects in the five-mile project corridor when funding is identified.

This core set of projects is substantially funded and final federal approval is expected shortly. The time is now to finally replace this bridge.