Biden-Harris Administration invests nearly $1.5 billion to replace Interstate 5 Bridge

Earlier this month, to kick off the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced nearly $1.5 billion in funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. The money will help replace the aging interstate bridge with modern and seismically resilient, multimodal structures that provide safe and accessible options for driving, walking, biking, rolling and riding transit. The project will also ensure reliable travel times, reduced congestion, improved safety and quality of life, reduced emissions, and better access to goods and services. The grant is part of an announcement of more than $5 billion in Large Bridge Project awards through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The grants will fund the reconstruction, repair, and restoration – using American-made materials – of 13 nationally significant bridges in 16 states that connect communities to jobs and resources, support the economy, and serve as critical corridors for freight travel. These projects will also address important safety issues and make the bridges more resilient to extreme weather, all while creating good-paying jobs. “For too long America let bridges fall into disrepair, which left people less safe, disrupted our supply chains, and cost people time and money - but now the Biden-Harris administration is changing that with the biggest investment in our bridges since the Eisenhower era,” Buttigieg stated in a news release announcing the grants. “There are currently about 3,000 fewer bridges in poor condition than when our administration began, and today we are proud to announce funding to repair or replace 13 of America’s largest and economically significant bridges.” The Large Bridge Project Grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for bridges with total eligible project costs over $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $50 million and a maximum award of 50 percent of the total eligible project costs. Priority consideration is given to projects ready to proceed to construction. The program also funds projects that require pre-construction work and benefit from a multi-year grant agreement. President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Bridge Investment Program, which invests $40 billion over five years to ensure the nation’s bridges remain safe and operational, meet current and future traveler needs, support local economies, strengthen supply chains to keep costs down for consumers, and create good-paying jobs across the country. More than 10,200 bridges are being rebuilt, repaired, or modernized thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Bridge Investment Program invested $2.4 billion in the planning and construction of 37 bridges in 29 states across the country. For more information, visit fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/bip/.

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