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By Claire Rush and Jennifer Kane

The Associated Press

VANCOUVER, Wash. 鈥� U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday toured the aged Interstate Bridge that connects Portland and Vancouver, Washington. The vital but聽seismically vulnerable聽structure is set to be replaced as part of a multibillion-dollar project supported by federal funding.

The bridge 鈥� so old that horses were still a main mode of transportation when it opened 鈥� now carries more than 130,000 vehicles a day over the Columbia River, according to regional transportation agencies. It鈥檚 a key component of Interstate 5, which runs the length of the West Coast, but bridge congestion frequently impairs travel and freight movement.

Seismologists say the Pacific Northwest is at risk of a severe earthquake 鈥� magnitude 9 or greater 鈥� that could destroy significant infrastructure in the region. In such an event the Interstate Bridge is at risk of collapse, which could kill many people and sever a crucial transportation link. Plans to replace the bridge have been in the works for decades.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know whether 鈥榯he big one鈥� is tomorrow or 100 years away, or many hundreds of years away, but we know that we should be getting this bridge into a more resilient state,鈥� Buttigieg told reporters.

The bridge鈥檚 initial span (now the northbound lanes of I-5), opened in February 1917 as the first to carry automobiles across the Columbia River; the first automobile span to cross the Columbia River. A second span opened in 1958 as the southbound lanes of I-5. Both spans include sections that lift to allow ships through.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and transportation authorities joined Buttigieg on the bridge tour. Donning hard hats and neon vests, they walked out onto one of the steel catwalks, just feet away from vehicles zooming by, and climbed steep, narrow stairs up to one of the bridge鈥檚 operating rooms.

As the room vibrated loudly from the traffic below, officials involved with the bridge replacement project talked about the plans and explained the maintenance required to keep the outdated bridge running. The cables that lift and lower the bridge to shipping traffic must be greased by hand, and the grease alone costs about $40,000 per year, on top of $1.2 million in annual operating costs.

鈥淚f we do nothing, it鈥檚 still an expensive thing to have and maintain,鈥� said Greg Johnson, the project鈥檚 program administrator.

Once back on solid ground near the Washington state entrance to the bridge, Buttigieg lit candles on a cupcake commemorating the bridge鈥檚 107th birthday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to see the project description on a sheet of paper,鈥� Buttigieg said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 another to stand in that bridge house and feel the entire room vibrate with the energy that is going up and down that bridge with all of that traffic.鈥�

The Interstate Bridge Replacement program received a boost in December when it was awarded $600 million in federal funds. The money will come from the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (鈥淢ega鈥�) program, a U.S. Department of Transportation grant initiative that was created to support projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding streams.

The Oregon and Washington legislatures have each committed $1 billion to the project. The team has also applied for additional federal funding.

The project鈥檚 estimated cost is at least $6 billion. Further analyses and assessments are needed before construction, which is tentatively set to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has long advocated for replacement of the bridge and indicated she had invited Buttigieg to visit.

鈥淲hile all of the reports and data make clear that we needed to replace the I-5 bridge years ago, you鈥檝e got to walk on the bridge to really get it,鈥� Murray stated in a news release.

Bill Hess lives along Vancouver鈥檚 waterfront and can see the bridge from his home. He said the hours he used to spend in traffic commuting from the Portland area to Vancouver, including on the I-5 bridge, pushed him to move to the Washington side of the river to be closer to work.

鈥淭his is going to be a hassle because of the construction, but it鈥檚 going to be well worth it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a huge improvement for the Northwest.鈥�