$600M in federal funding to go toward replacing I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington

By CLAIRE RUSH
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The program tasked with replacing the Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, Oregon, with southwest Washington is set to receive $600 million in federal funds. Washington’s U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, announced the funding Friday. The bridge is a key link on I-5, which spans the entirety of the West Coast. According to regional transportation agencies, more than 130,000 vehicles cross it every day. Parts of the bridge are more than a hundred years old and at risk of collapse in an earthquake. The money will go toward building a replacement that is seismically resilient.