Federal agencies have published the final supplemental environmental impact statement for the Interstate Bridge replacement project, a milestone that moves the potential $14.4 billion infrastructure package closer to construction.

The federal document lays out a modified locally preferred alternative centering on a single-level fixed-span bridge, an additional lane in each direction on Interstate 5, ramps to connect I-5 to downtown Vancouver, Washington and an extension of the MAX light-rail system into Vancouver.

The 944-page study from the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration examines various scenarios for building the bridge. The modified locally preferred alternative calls for two spans of three lanes each.

Two park-and-ride lots would be built to accommodate 1,270 vehicles. One would be near the planned Waterfront Station and another near the future Evergreen Station.

Industry groups hailed the step forward for the project, which Oregon and Washington leaders have been trying to move into construction for more than 20 years, dating to the Columbia River Crossing effort.

The final SEIS is a “key next step,” said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter.

The bridge replacement “is critical for the region’s safety, for the reliability of the transportation system and for the economic viability of the region,” Salsgiver said.

Funding is a looming challenge for the project as the price tag has ballooned. Oregon and Washington officials have narrowed their focus to replacing the two bridge spans, connecting I-5 and extending light rail into Vancouver. Those aspects would total $7.65 billion, officials from the two states revealed in March.

“Funding is always a challenge, so having a project of this magnitude depending on federal and state funding packages could definitely create some problems if it’s not handled well,” Salsgiver said.

Salsgiver is traveling this week to Washington, D.C., to discuss Interstate Bridge project funding and other matters with members of Oregon and Washington’s congressional delegations and Trump administration officials.

Project backers are trying to avoid a repeat of the federal government awarding funding and then pulling back, as occurred last year when President Donald Trump’s budget bill rescinded more than $400 million from the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

As part of the Interstate Bridge project’s narrower focus, the light rail extension has been pared back, from downtown Vancouver to an elevated station near the Columbia River’s edge.

Transit discussions remain ongoing between the two states and federal agencies, Salsgiver said.

“That policy ping-pong has been going back and forth for years,” he said. “They just need to address and resolve things in that arena. It’s definitely doable but will require some focus and dedication.”

Joe Cortright, a Portland economist and prominent critic of the Interstate Bridge replacement project, said the one described in the federal study cuts against reality.

“It’s basically an EIS for a project that they pretty much said they can’t build,” Cortright said.

He criticized project officials for moving forward before completing an investment-grade analysis. That report is expected to forecast traffic counts and toll revenues. The Oregon Department of Transportation is relying on 2019 traffic data, from before the pandemic changed commuting habits, Cortright said.

The project office reports 143,400 trips were taken daily in vehicles and all other modes in 2019.

“The traffic analysis is wrong and woefully outdated,” Cortright said. “Traffic has gone down since then.”

The tolling analysis is critical to the project’s financing, Cortright said.

“Basically, anything that isn’t paid for with tolls, the two states will have to pick up,” he said. “So, it has real financial implications.”

An investment-grade analysis would almost certainly show far less traffic on I-5 in a tolling scenario, Cortright said.

The report considers a long list of possible impacts. Among them: Construction would require the demolition of the Normandy Apartments, a building with 33 affordable units on Seventh Street in downtown Vancouver.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site would also see some impacts from highway and bridge construction. Noise and views would be affected, and the project team would need to acquire 0.4 acres from the historic site along State Route 14 west of the Vancouver Land Bridge.

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Oregon and Washington state leaders on Tuesday released an updated price tag for the Interstate Bridge replacement project that fell closely in line with documents unearthed months ago by critics of the long-planned expansion.

The total cost estimate for the bridge and 5-mile corridor of Interstate 5 rose to $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, with a “most likely cost” of $14.4 billion, according to a joint statement from state highway officials. That price tag lands within highway officials’ earlier estimated range of $12.2 billion to $17.7 billion.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson doubled down on their support for the project despite rising costs.

“We need a new bridge and it’s time to start building it,” Kotek expressed in the joint statement.

By focusing on “a core set of projects,” she stated, the states can deliver a “modern, earthquake-ready bridge, with no bridge lifts, less traffic congestion, extended light rail and better options for people walking and biking.”

Tuesday’s cost estimates were the first released by the two states since 2022, when program officials gauged the cost at $5 billion to $7.5 billion. Since then, construction costs have run hotter than overall inflation, mostly because of materials and labor and fluctuating tariffs.

The Interstate Bridge replacement (IBR) program team, made up of Oregon and Washington transportation departments, plans to hire a contractor in 2027 to complete design work. The bridge is regarded as at risk of collapse in a major earthquake.

“The bridge must, and will be replaced,” Ferguson stated. “Delaying a major project has never made costs go down. We’ve achieved important progress in the past year, and we will continue to move forward by focusing on the core mission of replacing the bridge.”

Highway officials and state leaders refocused Tuesday on the more modest goal of replacing the two bridge spans, connecting them to I-5 and extending light rail service to Vancouver. Those aspects would total $7.65 billion, according to the joint statement.

Light-rail service may be needed to access some federal funding, but some elected officials and residents in Vancouver have protested bringing Portland-based light rail to Southwest Washington.

Joe Cortright, an economist and director of Portland-based City Observatory who has been a persistent critic of the project, said the state transportation departments were misleading constituents by focusing on half of the project.

“The high-level bridge requires elevated freeways on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the river, with new interchanges elevated high into the air to reach the new roadway,” Cortright stated Tuesday. “ODOT and WSDOT have intentionally designed this so once you start, you must build everything. The reality is they’ll never stop with Phase I. Start construction and you’re signing up for $15 billion and 20 years of construction hell.”

The IBR program currently has $5.5 billion in available state and federal funds.

“This funding is sufficient to continue the states’ momentum and begin the construction process while working toward further improvements to the larger corridor on both sides of the bridge,” the team stated Tuesday.

Highway officials are pursuing an additional $1 billion in funding through the Federal Transit Administration‘s Capital Investment Grants program.

“Managing our risks, including schedule, is imperative,” ODOT interim Director Lisa Sumption stated. “We are committed to moving this program into construction and completing this critical infrastructure for our region and the economy.”

Contractors and union representatives have touted the project, saying it would bring huge economic benefits in wages and other spending.

“We’re pleased to see this part of this moving forward now, and it’s time to get this project built,” said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter.

He lamented that it’s taken so long to replace the aging bridge.

“It also demonstrates the cost of the delay,” he said. “If we’d done this 15 years ago, it probably would have cost less than $3 billion.”

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The proposed Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement project has received federal approval to advance to final design and construction permitting.

The $1.12 billion Columbia River bridge project spanning Oregon and Washington received a record of decision on Tuesday from the Federal Highway Administration, closing out National Environmental Policy Act obligations.

“What it means is that we have finalized the NEPA process and the project can move forward into final design right away and construction,” Michael Shannon, bridge replacement project director, said in an interview on Wednesday.

Kiewit Corp., the project’s design-build contractor, is on track to hit the 60 percent design level next summer, with a final set of construction plans expected to be ready in spring 2027, Shannon said.

If anticipated funding falls into place, construction would follow in October 2027, Shannon said.

“That is dependent on securing the final federal funding for the project,” he said.

The project team is awaiting a decision on Bridge Investment Program funds. Project officials have requested $530 million from the program, which is administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

The total price tag includes planning and construction and encompasses about $180 million in contingency funding, Shannon said.

This bridge replacement project appears to be moving smoothly toward construction while other major infrastructure plans have been stymied by delayed or canceled funding.

As part of major legislation, President Donald Trump earlier this year rescinded $412.5 million for the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. Other projects across the nation have likewise not received expected funding.

Shannon said he had no concerns about the Trump administration’s willingness to fund the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement.

“We got notification that we met the screening criteria for projects under the new administration,” he said.

The project was “highly recommended,” Shannon said. “The project (team) has done everything it can to be positioned to accept award,” he added.

The Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge proposal meets a key threshold, Shannon said: Requested federal funding is less than 50 percent of the project’s total cost. Oregon and Washington have each agreed to chip in $125 million.

The new bridge would replace the existing span, which opened in December 1924. The new bridge would sit slightly west of the current bridge and include two 12-foot vehicle lanes, two 8-foot shoulders and a 12-foot shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians. Vehicles would be tolled.

The proposed bridge’s 90-foot vertical clearance has been preliminarily approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The replacement bridge “would meet current design standards to be seismically sound under a 1,000-year seismic event and operational under a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake,” the record of decision states.

Indeed, seismic concerns were a driving force behind the project. The current bridge sits on a sandy, silty layer that is vulnerable to liquefaction.

“It is more susceptible to earthquake than we had thought before,” Shannon said.

The bridge project exemplifies the public-sector work that has buoyed the construction industry while interest rates remain high, private lenders exercise caution, and some types of commercial real estate suffer from oversupply and high vacancy rates.

“Infrastructure funding has been a major source of stability for the construction industry over the past few years,” Macrina Wilkins, a researcher for the Associated General Contractors of America, wrote in an email on Wednesday. “Bridge, highway and other projects supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (and related federal programs) have kept contractors busy and work flowing into the pipeline, even as concerns about labor shortages and economic uncertainty persisted.”

Contractors are “eager to undertake” projects like the Hood River–White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement “especially in the face of softer private demand,” Wilkins added.

Still, Wilkins stated, contractors should prepare for a leveling off in public infrastructure work: Highway and street spending fell 0.9 percent nationally in August, compared to a year earlier.

“Infrastructure investments are still supporting the industry, just not at the unusually elevated pace we saw earlier in the (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) rollout,” Wilkins wrote.

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The city of Portland is preparing public comments to submit on the proposed Interstate Bridge‘s design by the end of September.

On Thursday, the Portland Design Commission sought consensus on what changes they would like to see in the early bridge designs.

Chairman Brian McCarter focused on how the bridge will connect with the Vancouver Waterfront at the north end. A shared use ramp from the bridge to the waterfront appears to be “quite a journey,” he said.

“I’m having a struggle with the configuration being this long,” he said. “Is this the only way to do this, or could this be enhanced by some stairs, some elevators at strategic locations?”

Brenda Martin, major projects and transit manager for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said a connection should be made between the light rail and a shared path for bicycles and pedestrians, given their close proximity.

Commissioners also discussed whether the design details of the bridge landings should differ on the Oregon and Washington sides. Commissioner Zari Santner said the bridge doesn’t need to look the same on both sides.

McCarter agreed, as long as it’s cohesive, he said. “Variety is great as long as it’s within an overall story,” he said.

McCarter also pushed for transparency in the bridge railings, so users can see outside the bridge.

Commissioners will consider and likely vote to approve a letter to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program at their Sept. 18 meeting.

Construction on the bridge is expected to last 15 years, with 24 construction packages up for bid. The total project was estimated in 2023 to cost $5 billion to $7.5 billion. That range is expected to grow when Interstate Bridge project officials release an updated cost estimate later this year or early in 2026.

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The Oregon Legislature‘s upcoming special session focusing on transportation funding may deal a major setback for tolling in the state — except for the Interstate Bridge replacement project.

Gov. Tina Kotek on Wednesday called for repealing a 2017 law that provides the framework for tolling on interstates 5 and 205.

Key state lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, have urged the repeal of the law as part of anticipated legislation to fund the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“There will be language in the bill to repeal ORS 383.150,” Kotek said in remarks to reporters, in reference to the 2017 tolling law.

Kotek acknowledged that the idea of tolling Oregon drivers had not shifted out of park.

“We are in a pause across the system on tolling, outside of the Interstate Bridge,” she said.

Kotek’s comments were part of a broader outline of plans for the special session set to begin Aug. 29. On Tuesday, the governor said she would invoke her authority to reconvene the Legislature for the session.

The effort comes after the Legislature failed to pass a transportation funding bill in the regular session that ended June 27.

Kotek said Wednesday that she wants to keep the special session tightly focused on funding ODOT’s regular operations. Funding for the state’s infrastructure mega-projects is not expected to come out of the special session, Kotek said

The governor urged action, saying it’s needed to avoid layoffs at ODOT. The agency has already notified 483 workers of impending layoffs without forthcoming funding. Additional layoffs would follow early in 2026.

“These dollars will cover the ODOT budget to provide basic services for Oregonians and prevent layoffs of workers that provide basic services to Oregonians,” Kotek said.

Kotek gave the broad framework of a transportation funding bill but did not say how much it would cost. Among the bill’s elements:

• The state’s gas tax would rise 6 cents, from 40 cents to 46 cents per gallon.

• A $30 electric vehicle fee would be implemented.

• Vehicle registration and title fees would also rise.

• The payroll tax to pay for transit would double from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent. Kotek said the increase is necessary to keep rural transit systems alive.

• The governor would have greater ability to fire the ODOT director. A 2017 transportation bill gave the Oregon Transportation Commission more authority over ODOT’s executive.

Kotek said she wouldn’t dwell on the transportation bill’s failure during this year’s regular session. She added that Oregon should consider funding transportation more often, on an annual or biennial basis, rather than in bigger cycles.

While Clackamas County lawmakers and others are likely to welcome a major setback for tolling, an industry official questioned how Oregon will pay for its major infrastructure projects without those revenues.

“It’s concerning to move away from any tolling, especially when tolling was how those projects were going to pencil out,” said Kirsten Adams, a lobbyist for the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter.

Meek said it’s “great news” that Kotek will push to repeal the 2017 law. He added that he’d be open to tolling in the future to pay for the state’s mega-projects.

“I think there is room for tolling for the metro area to help pay for our mega-projects. I just want there to be a more open conversation about it,” he said.

Meek said he envisioned a London-style tolling area, where drivers would be tolled coming into the Portland-metro area from Hood River in the east, U.S. Route 26 from the Oregon Coast in the west, Interstate 5 near Aurora in the south and the Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge (Interstate 205) at the Washington state border in the north.

Adams praised Kotek’s bid to seek greater accountability from ODOT leaders, and added that Oregon needs a better way of paying for mega-projects.

“We’re looking for a long-term funding solution for those bigger projects, knowing that’s important for the infrastructure in our state, the mobility in our state, and knowing they’re really expensive,” she said.

Kotek told journalists she has the votes to pass a transportation package, and that she is not concerned that a potential walkout by Republicans would deprive the Legislature of a quorum. Meek agreed.

“She would not have called this if she did not have a quorum and the votes to pass,” he said.

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State transportation officials on Thursday said that this summer they will ask for $1.9 billion to begin the 15-year task of replacing the Interstate Bridge.

The project is nearing the end of environmental review, and Oregon and Washington transportation officials are looking to advance the initial phases of two dozen construction packages for building the bridge and a network of interstate expansions and local improvements in Portland and Vancouver.

“So, not to bury the lead — it’s a large (transportation plan) request — probably the largest the agency’s seen,” said Ray Mabey, the project’s assistant program administrator, at Thursday’s Oregon Transportation Commission meeting. “That is not lost on me — the size and the meaning of that.”

The $1.9 billion would come from both Oregon and Washington state governments, as well as federal funds and expected tolling revenue. The formal request, expected in July, would come in the form of a Statewide Transportation Improvement Program amendment.

The massive ask includes $1.3 billion for construction, $433 million for preliminary engineering, $232 million for right-of-way acquisition and $10 million for utility relocation.

Initially, Oregon taxpayers will shoulder a heavier burden, with general obligation bonds totaling $249.5 million, while Washington will kick in $119.7 million. That will even out over time, and the states will cross-bill each other for project expenses, Mabey said.

The Oregon money will help pay for right-of-way acquisitions near Marine Drive and Hayden Island.

“For the particular projects we’re talking about, the right-of-way need is greater in Oregon,” Mabey said.

The total project was estimated in 2023 to cost $5 billion to $7.5 billion. That range is expected to grow when Interstate Bridge project officials release an updated cost estimate later this year or early in 2026.

Project officials are waiting on a record of decision — a final determination under the National Environmental Policy Act. That’s expected to arrive early in 2026.

“That record of decision is really the key pivot point for us to move into delivery, to start acquiring right-of-way, starting utility relocation, final design, as well as moving into construction,” Mabey said.

Meanwhile, the Bi-State Tolling Subcommittee will soon begin its work in earnest. Tolling on the bridge risks public backlash in Oregon, where such revenue collection is virtually unknown.

Tolling rates will be set in summer 2026, said Travis Brouwer, assistant director for revenue, finance and compliance for the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“This is the first time we’ve set toll rates on a bistate level in a long time,” Brouwer said. “So, we’re going to have to make sure that this follows the law in Washington, the law in Oregon and that those mesh well together.”

Toll scenarios range from $1.55 per crossing before the bridge is completed to $4.70 post completion. All scenarios assume a low-income toll program that will charge low-income drivers less.

Drivers will need to begin opening toll payment accounts and placing transponders in their vehicles, Brouwer said.

The project will take 15 years to build, Mabey said.

“It would take a lot less if we could actually close the interstate and build the whole program,” he said. “But when I asked (ODOT Director Kris Strickler) if we could do that, he said no, and he’s right. So, we need to maintain three through-lanes of traffic in each direction during construction to keep the goods and services and people moving through this corridor.”

The transportation officials sought to assure commissioners that the Trump administration remains committed to the project, for which grants were awarded under the Biden administration.

“What we have heard from this administration is a desire to get this project built and moving forward,” Mabey said. “We see that as a strong sign of support.”

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New renderings have been released for the Interstate Bridge Replacement project.

Greg Johnson, Interstate Bridge Replacement program administrator, presented the new visualizations at Monday’s Executive Steering Group meeting.

“In today’s Executive Steering Group meeting, we presented new visualizations of some of the design options being considered as we continue to work through the environmental phase of the program,” Johnson said during Monday’s meeting. “These new images show each of the bridge configurations (single-level, double-level and moveable span) being analyzed in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement from different viewpoints close to the proposed structure or while traveling on the shared use paths in these areas.

“The images include one example bridge type for each of the bridge configurations: extradosed bridge for single-level, truss bridge for double-level, and girder bridge for a moveable span. They do not represent a complete range of bridge types being considered. No decision has been made on the bridge type or configuration at this time,” Johnson added.

(Renderings courtesy of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

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The Interstate Bridge replacement project saw major wins this week when all eight partner agencies – Portland City Council, Vancouver City Council, C-TRAN, Metro Council, the Port of Portland, the Port of Vancouver, and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) – voted to move the project forward.

This follows TriMet endorsement of the project on June 22.

With the approval of the modified Locally Preferred Alternative the project can move into the Environmental Review Process, which is not expected to occur until mid-2024.

However, officials didn’t approve the LPA without some skepticism. Major Ted Wheeler expressed concern about the bridge’s height and the city’s squeezed position between what the U.S. Coast Guard would like – a higher bridge – and what the Federal Aviation Administration wants – a lower bridge. TriMet board member Ozzie Gonzalez, who voted against the LPA in June, said the project was “not perfect, but something.” Metro Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal said his vote is an “extremely reluctant ‘aye’” before the council approved the LPA on Thursday afternoon.

Each group added conditions of approval to their endorsement for the project. However, none of the conditions will be binding, like seen in Portland land use reviews, rather are an indication of what each party would like the program to address. Metro Councilor Mary Nolan voted against the bridge due to this.

Partner agencies votes:

• TriMet Board of Directors: 4-1 (Ozzie Gonzalez opposed)
• Vancouver City Council: Unanimous approval
• C-Train Board of Directors: 8-1 (Karen Bowerman opposed)
• Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners: Unanimous approval
• Port of Portland Board of Commissioners: Unanimous approval
• City of Portland: Unanimous approval
• Metro Council: 6-1 (Mary Nolan opposed)
• RTC: 10-3 (Gary Medvigy, Leslie Lewallen and Karen Bowerman opposed)

“For too long … we have sat on our hands and said that that river is a dividing line,” Metro Counselor Christine Lewis said. “And we’ve got to get beyond that because our economy won’t progress. Our equity and climate goals can’t progress unless we figure out what Vancouver means to Portland and what Portland means to Vancouver.”

Under the current proposal, the new Interstate Bridge would include three travel lanes, one auxiliary and two shoulder lanes in each direction. A new light rail line would also extend from the Portland Expo Center over the bridge to Evergreen Boulevard in Vancouver, bringing the MAX system to southwest Washington for the first time.

A partial interchange on Marine Drive and a local bridge to Hayden Island would also be added, as well as updated pedestrian and bicyclist connections.

Although all partner agencies voted to endorse the modified LPA, most of the final design has yet to be decided, including cost. Interstate Bridge Replacement program administrator Greg Johnson said they hope to have numbers for the public sometime in November or early December.

The Executive Streeting Group meets at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 21.

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The history of transportation infrastructure in the United States is fraught with a checkered past of forcing families to move from their homes to make way for new construction. The Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 was envisioned by the Eisenhower administration as a system of 41,000 miles of new, limited-access highways across the country. On paper it was an ambitious leap into the future for a post-war America that demanded unprecedented mobility. In practice, however, construction of these new roadways often ran through thriving Black communities in cities across the country.

Portland was no exception. The Albina community in inner Northeast Portland was bisected by construction of the Memorial Coliseum and then Interstate 5 in the early 1960s. This occurred less than two decades after the 1948 Vanport flood, which destroyed hundreds of homes near the Columbia River and displaced what had been up to then the city’s largest Black community.

The widespread practice of eminent domain in Black neighborhoods also occurred in my home state of Michigan, where I experienced firsthand the resulting impact on families and communities across America. One of my earliest memories starting at the age of four was of moving three times in a year-and-a-half after the Michigan State Highway Department bought – then demolished – our family home to make way for a road-widening project. As a child, it seemed like an adventure. But it was hard on my father, who for years reminded me of this injustice as I charted my life’s work in transportation infrastructure.

The impacts on minority communities and their personal stories that are passed on from one generation to the next ring clear to me. I have reflected on my family’s personal experience to help guide my work in transportation leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, including in my role today as IBR program administrator. The commitment from both the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to get it right this time and center equity to guide the IBR program was one of the key factors that interested me in accepting my position.

The advantage of history is that one can learn from the past and avoid repeating injustices. In our work toward replacing the aging Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River with a seismically resilient multimodal structure, the IBR program is centering equity in both process and outcomes. Through comprehensive and equitable community engagement, we are pursuing a solution that prioritizes safety, reflects community values, addresses community concerns, and fosters broad regional support.

Our community engagement program is spearheaded by a trio of advisory groups, including the Executive Steering Group, comprised of representatives from 10 partner agencies with a direct delivery or operational role in the multimodal transportation system around the Interstate Bridge; the Community Advisory Group, represented by balanced community membership from both Oregon and Washington; and the Equity Advisory Group, which provides the IBR program with guidance and input on the program’s processes, approaches and decisions that may affect historically underserved and underrepresented communities.

Community input informs every aspect of the IBR program. Along with the virtual public meetings of our advisory groups, the IBR program also regularly elevates community engagement efforts through online open houses, community briefings, listening sessions, community working groups, and meetings with community-based organizations, among other outreach tools. Over the past year, we have had more than 29,000 interactions with community members, and this number continues to grow. A comprehensive summary of our most recent community engagement initiative is available at .

In centering equity, the IBR program seeks to ensure opportunities for equity priority communities to realize the program’s economic and transportation benefits, and commits to not furthering harm to these communities. We are amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), young people, older adults, and persons with disabilities.

The program is currently exceeding the mandatory disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) participation goal of 15 percent set for the existing consultant contract. As program work moves forward, additional DBE goals will be set for future contracts. As we reach construction, our ambitious DBE program will be critical as we work to maximize participation of these firms. There are many woman-owned and minority-owned businesses in the region with the expertise needed to build the replacement bridge, and we aim to support such businesses in achieving DBE certification to make way for them to work on the IBR program. We also aim to cultivate talent by drawing from apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

This month marks the 105th anniversary of the opening of the first span of the Interstate Bridge – a different bridge for a different time. In our work to replace the Interstate Bridge with infrastructure that provides equitable transportation options for all travelers, including individuals who rely on public transit and active transportation (biking, walking and rolling), we will continue to foster all voices in the program area.

The IBR program is working to identify and gain consensus on a draft-modified locally preferred alternative (LPA) this spring and summer. The LPA will undergo additional analysis as part of the federal environmental review process. The goal is to begin construction in 2025; work is expected to take around seven years. When we cut the ribbons on the new Interstate Bridge, I want folks around the country to recognize the IBR program as a model for carrying out large transportation projects and centering equity and inclusivity from beginning to end.

To listen to firsthand experiences of transportation infrastructure displacement and learn more about how the IBR program is centering equity, I invite you to view our Black History Month virtual roundtable on Friday, Feb. 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. I will be joined Portland City Commissioner and IBR Executive Steering Group member Jo Ann Hardesty, Vancouver NAACP President and IBR Community Advisory Group member Jasmine Tolbert, IBR Executive Steering Group Co-Chair Ed Washington, IBR Principal Equity Officer Johnell Bell, IBR Equity Advisory Group facilitator Roberta Hunte, and IBR Executive Steering Group facilitator and roundtable facilitator Millicent Williams. To learn more, go to .

Greg Johnson is the program administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. Contact him at 503-897-9218 (Oregon), 360-859-0494 (Washington) or info@interstatebridge.org.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91��Ƶ guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.

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Greg Johnson knows that challenges lie ahead.

As the newly appointed leader of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, a joint effort between the Oregon and Washington transportation departments, Johnson has the daunting task of helping deliver a new iteration of a multibillion-dollar megaproject spanning the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver.

In addition to uniting stakeholders from two states that spent $175 million on the Columbia River Crossing plan that ultimately died at the hands of Washington legislators in 2013, Johnson will have to drum up public support for a project that is likely to encounter opposition from both sides of the river.

“My immediate goal once I hit the ground is to do a lot of listening,” said Johnson, who will assume the role as the project’s program administrator on July 6. “I want to make sure that I take time and listen to everybody, what their concerns and issues are, and what they want to see this bridge be to their communities.”

Johnson was selected for the position after a national recruitment effort took place. He is a licensed engineer with experience working for the Maryland and Michigan transportation departments. He most recently served as a senior vice president with engineering giant WSP USA in Michigan.

Johnson’s experience with large infrastructure projects includes early work on the $5.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge; one of his duties was to reach out to wary residents of impacted neighborhoods.

“There was a lot of anguish and hard feelings, so my team members and I had numerous sit-downs in folks’ living rooms and public meetings to explain what this project could be and how it could be transformative,” he said.

Johnson is preparing to perform similar work to receive public buy-in for a new Interstate Bridge that could elicit environmental concerns from Portlanders and opposition to light rail from Vancouver residents.

“My biggest challenge is going to be getting out, meeting people, and understanding the nuances of why this project is either the panacea for all the problems, or why it’s the devil incarnate,” he said. “I’ve got to understand all of those viewpoints in an intimate way.”

Equity and inclusion are top priorities for the bridge replacement program, Johnson said with acknowledgment of past practices.

“It’s no secret that when the interstates were sited back in the ’50’s, they took the poorest areas – sometimes the minority areas of a community – and said, ‘Well, this is where we’re going to route the interstate,’” he said.

Some of those legacies still exist, Johnson said, so having conversations to address those issues and build trust in the community will be crucial, as will employing minority contractors and maintaining a diverse workforce on the project.

“I’ve worked in some of the wealthiest communities and also some of the poorest communities in this country,” he said.  “And it is the poorest communities that always feel that their voice isn’t heard, so I want to make sure that everybody feels that they are heard and their input is taken into account to shape what this project can be.”

Conducting face-to-face meetings will be difficult in the coronavirus era, Johnson acknowledged, but he is looking forward to having conversations to convince stakeholders that the time is right to pursue a bridge replacement.

“I’ve seen projects that start out as a house on fire and fizzle out because the political will is lost,” he said. “So I think communication to the stakeholders and to the public in general is going to be a key to keeping the momentum going to get this thing pushed across the finish line.”

Oregon and Washington together have dedicated $44 million to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. Officials are targeting a summer 2021 start for an environmental review process, which is expected to take between three and five years.

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