Project name: Lieser Road Bridge – Emergency Bridge Repair

Location: Vancouver, Washington

Completion: August 2024

Size: 1,700 square feet

Cost: $1,236,371

Owner: Washington State Department of Transportation

Architect: Washington State Department of Transportation

Engineer: Washington State Department of Transportation

General Contractor: Tapani Inc.

Submitting Company: Tapani Inc.

Other Key Participants: Otak Engineering, Richey Wrecking, Schneider and Sons

Subcontractors: Brothers Concrete Cutting, CMC Steel Fabricators, Contech Services, Green Sweep Asphalt Service, Karvonen Sand & Gravel, Mill Plain Electric, Ness Campbell Crane + Rigging, Pacific Rim Service and Construction,  Ralph’s Concrete Pumping, Richey Wrecking, Schneider and Sons, Specialized Pavement Marking, Storie Barriers, The Bag Lady, W.E. Coates Surveying

A vital transportation link in Clark County is back in service following the successful completion of emergency repairs to the Lieser Road Bridge on Highway 14.

The project became necessary after a semi-truck accident severely damaged a 102-foot prestressed bridge girder, threatening the structural integrity of this critical overpass that serves approximately 8,900 vehicles daily. The overpass is a crucial lifeline connecting SR 14 to central Vancouver and PeaceHealth Hospital. It also is an essential route for travelers accessing major highways like I-5 and I-205.

Tapani, serving as general contractor, worked alongside the Washington State Department of Transportation to execute the complex repair plan, which included demolition and replacement of Girder 2G, repairs to Girder 2A and interior girders, and guardrail replacement.

To minimize public disruption, crews scheduled strategic night shifts and a carefully planned weekend closure of SR 14. The most intensive phase featured a remarkable 56-consecutive-hour closure dedicated to demolition and debris removal.

The project presented unique challenges due to the partial demolition requirements. Tapani brought in Otak Engineering to develop a specialized work plan with precise calculations predicting how the girder would respond during the excavator demolition process.

During demolition, Tapani partnered with Richey Wrecking, employing two excavators with breaking hammers to efficiently remove the damaged girder, deck, diaphragms, and barrier. This approach allowed for quick, precise work while maintaining project timelines.

After successful installation of the new girder, crews poured concrete to reconstruct the hinge diaphragm, intermediate diaphragm, end diaphragm, and bridge deck. A new 112-foot-long traffic barrier wall enhances safety for drivers, and fresh asphalt completed the restoration.

Throughout the project, safety remained paramount, particularly during night shifts and road closures. Extensive preplanning, daily coordination, and constant safety checks ensured all teams adhered to safety standards, from proper PPE usage to clear signage installation.

The project had a DBE contracting goal of 17 percent, and the project team met that target. Representatives noted that by partnering with diverse firms that brought valuable expertise to the job, they were able to deliver a high-quality project while supporting the growth of small and disadvantaged businesses in the industry.

“This project will ensure safe access for all travelers across the entire overpass, including designated shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists,” Sarah Hannon, WSDOT communications representative, said in the nomination form. “It will also restore this vital connection for travelers who use SR 14 to access Interstates 5 and 205.”

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Greg Johnson joined the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program in July 2020. He was hired to do what his predecessors could not: get Oregon and Washington officials, environmentalists, the trucking industry, commuter advocates and federal transportation funders to agree on a project to replace the bridge carrying Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.

Johnson most recently served in early planning for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a structure now under construction that will span from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Earlier this month he appeared during a Metro Council meeting that resulted in the group approving allocation of $36 million for Interstate Bridge engineering and planning.

Recently, Johnson spoke with the 91��Ƶ. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

91��Ƶ: What do you hope to accomplish with the Interstate Bridge replacement project? Or, to put it another way, what does success look like for this project?

Greg Johnson: What I think the program can accomplish for this region is to create a multimodal corridor for folks to have choices about how they choose to cross the river at this location. Currently, it is driven purely by automobile and truck traffic, because if you ride a bike it’s kind of dangerous. It’s narrow. It’s not a pleasant experience. The transit that goes across there currently is an express bus that rides in the same backed-up traffic as the other vehicles.

91��Ƶ: Some people think of this as just a bridge, but it’s really quite a bit of work on both sides of the river. What does that look like – the changes to the interchanges and the distances leading up to the bridge on both sides?

Johnson: So this is a five-mile corridor, split fairly evenly, both in Oregon and in Washington. There are seven interchanges within this five-mile stretch. And this is not a choice that any modern designer of today would have, but these are the circumstances we are blessed with. So we have to make sure that those seven interchanges operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. The improvements to the interchanges – (we’re) looking at auxiliary lanes to separate traffic on the ramps from the through traffic. And that is tremendously important to how this will function appropriately going into the future.

91��Ƶ: In Michigan, you worked on the Gordie Howe bridge. What did you learn from that process that you can bring to bear on Oregon and Washington’s friendly relationship?

Johnson: Yeah, I was involved in the preliminary planning stages representing the Michigan (Department of Transportation) to the Canadian government – both provincial and the Canadian federal government. So it was an interesting process to say the least.

One of the key things was that there is no perfect project. In building an international project, everyone had their hopes and wishes and things that they aspired for the project to be. And we tried our darndest to thread the needle to get to something that both sides can live with. And eventually we did with Gordie Howe.

So, the art of compromise, the art of saying it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a doggone good solution. That’s the lesson that I bring to this project: that there is no solution that’s going to make everybody happy. But we’re going to make improvements to the seismic ability, to the congestion, to the safety – all of those things are going to be vastly improved with this new construction.

And to our critics on the environmental side, this is going to be a greener segment of roadway than they have seen in projects in the past.

91��Ƶ: We recently heard from (Metro councilors) about their concerns: what they would regard as too large a bridge or too many lanes or too much of a vehicle focus. Do you have any immediate reaction to those concerns from them?

Johnson: First off, I was very heartened by the vote, five to one, and we’ve been talking with individual Metro councilors to have them understand what this program is and what it is not. So I was very thankful that they deemed the project important enough to continue the funding to get to the answers.

But one of the things that we know is that doing nothing or doing something that is going to perpetuate the problems out into the future is just not an acceptable scenario. Some of the questions that they asked, we already have incorporated those things into our models and into how we are approaching and screening our design options.

So I don’t think it’s a problem from our standpoint. It does add more work on some details, but we will get those answers to them, without a doubt, as we are bringing the project before boards and councils … later in the spring for endorsement of the project itself.

91��Ƶ: In Oregon, we certainly hear a lot more from elected officials on the south side of the river. What are you hearing from Washington about what they want out of the project, and are those two compatible?

Johnson: Some of the concerns we hear on the Washington side are related to the commuter experience, because a number of the folks who cross the bridge every day are commuting from Clark County, heading into Oregon for work. Those folks (ask) “Are you going to reduce the amount of time that it takes to cross this bridge?”

What I tell folks is we are beyond the point of building our way out of congestion. We know that that’s a fool’s errand. But what we can do is make this crossing operate better.

We will have a design in place that takes away that if I have a crash, I can move it to the shoulder and quickly get it gone – out of the roadway system. Currently when there’s a crash, it shuts down two lanes of the bridge, and the backups are tremendous. The randomness of some of the bridge lifts – and they’re not random, but they appear to drivers as random because we keep them out of the peak hours – that will be gone. The accidents that are caused by the tight spacing of the ramps, we’re looking to solve that problem.

All of those things add up to a more consistent, predictable trip for folks going across the bridge. And if folks can predict their travel every day, that’s a better experience for folks.

And once again, if we can divert some of the single-occupancy vehicle trips and get those folks onto transit, or folks who now say “Wow, it’s safer and nicer to walk or bike,” then once again that helps the overall traffic going through the corridor.

91��Ƶ: So the new bridge, will it have to lift as well or will it be tall enough that bridge traffic can pass underneath?

Johnson: It will be tall enough. We will not have a lift span on the new bridge. It’ll be much taller, but still not too tall to interfere with traffic going to Pearson Airfield or PDX. But there will be no lifts whatsoever, and we’re doing a river survey to make sure that all of the users now and future users will be able to cross under our bridge without a problem.

91��Ƶ: It was before your time, but of course, the Columbia River Crossing effort ended in failure. And some of those same politics remain in place on both sides of the river. What can you do, what can ODOT do, to avoid the same thing happening this time around?

Johnson: We’ve learned the lessons that happened around the CRC, and we know that having a constant conversation with the state legislators in each state is critically important. So we have the bistate legislative committee that we’re meeting with on a regular basis and keeping them informed of what’s going on. So we are being very, very intentional in our information sharing and keeping them up to speed and being very transparent.

We’re also talking to other members of each state legislature to make sure that they are up to speed because the vote – it won’t just be folks who are who are represented on that bistate committee; it will be the entirety of the legislature in each state. So we’re talking to any and everybody about the importance of this to statewide interest.

91��Ƶ: The most recent cost estimate for the project that we’ve seen was $4.5 billion. Is that kind of the ballpark estimate?

Johnson: Yeah, that’s our latest thinking on an estimate for cost. But once again, as soon as we get through this spring, we will have a better idea of what we’re going to build. Right now we’re probably at the 10,000-foot level.

So right now we think we have a ballpark that we’re operating in. But once again, time is not the friend of inflation. So we know that time and keeping on a schedule is tremendously important to have a cost-containment effort.

It doesn’t mean is that we’re going to skip any steps, but it does mean that we’re going to be very intentional and paying attention to our schedule. The old saying about time being money – time is money in this case.

91��Ƶ: In the other big interstate project in our area – the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project – they’ve had to revise upward their cost estimates over time. It went from a few hundred million dollars to well over $1 billion. And I was wondering if you anticipate cost estimates rising for the Interstate Bridge as well, given the cost of steel and concrete and labor and all those inputs?

Johnson: We’re paying close attention to the construction pricing indexes, both regionally, nationally and internationally. So we’re tracking that, and that is a part of our estimates.

We are partnered with the Rose Quarter because we need to understand what they are going to be doing in their timelines. Because, once again, we’re going to be looking at the same pool of labor to get these things done. So we’re paying close attention.

91��Ƶ: Do you expect that the Interstate Bridge will be tolled?

Johnson: I do. If you look at projects of this size across the country, almost to a project, tolling plays a part because when you’re talking billions of dollars, and the transportation budget for each state is a fraction of that, this would decimate the abilities of both states to do their normal business, if they put all of the resources they have into this project.

As it is, we’re going to make the making a large ask of each state between $1 billion and $1.2 billion for the local match of this. The federal dollars, we think we’re well positioned. But we know that those two sources will not cover the entirety of cost related to this. So tolling is a reality of projects of this size across the country.

We understand that there are some folks who have to cross this bridge every day, and some will be low-income folks. So we’re looking at how we can make tolling equitable.

91��Ƶ: There has been discussion of tolling on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and also on I-205. Have these been looked at holistically, that tolling could be coming to all these interstates and how they interact with each other?

Johnson: We are looking at the tolling scenarios that ODOT is projecting for I-5 and I-205, and so all of our modeling and scenarios reflect that.

On our bridge, our primary goal is to raise revenue to pay for a portion of the bridge. But we also know that by having variable-rate tolling, we will be accomplishing some of the goals that we have of driving behavior, and having people take trips at different times rather than at peak periods.

91��Ƶ: I just want to ask about the physical footprint of the bridge. I’m sure you’ve heard the story of how the original building of I-5 cut through the Black community in Albina and North Portland. How do you minimize the footprint of the bridge on both sides and avoid disturbance to neighborhoods?

Johnson: We’re looking at that issue very carefully. We have an Equity Advisory Group that meets on a monthly basis that holds us accountable for design efforts.

There will be some unavoidable impacts – but we’re trying to make those impacts as least as possible by doing smarter things.

To minimize footprint, sometimes you will see straight vertical walls instead of slopes. We are looking at all of those ways to have as small an impact as possible. We know on the Washington side, Fort Vancouver is very sensitive to tribal governments. So we’re trying to have as small of a footprint as we cross through that area. But we know we’re going to have impacts. We know that there will be unavoidable things, but we will be seeking to mitigate those things and make sure that folks are well informed as to what we are looking at for options and that their voices are heard and reflected in those final outcomes.

91��Ƶ: Will there be light rail on the bridge?

Johnson: That’s one of the big questions that we are working on, that we are modeling. Currently, both C-TRAN and TriMet have members embedded in our team that are helping us work through those issues. But we’re hoping later this spring, we will have a recommendation of what is to be constructed for high-capacity transit.

We also know that this is probably the one and only opportunity to have high-capacity transit across the river at this location. So we’re being very, very careful and very deliberate in how we are looking at these issues. It is tremendously important that we get it right – so more to come on that.

We think it’s more than likely going to be a hybrid, because previously, C-TRAN was not operating bus rapid transit at the time of the CRC. Now they have two very robust lines and a third in the works, so we know that Bus Rapid Transit is a viable way to move a lot of folks. So we’re looking at those issues very carefully.

91��Ƶ: Do you expect the bridge will have dedicated lanes or dedicated space for bicyclists and pedestrians?

Johnson: Yes. Under every scenario that we are looking at, there will be an expanded facility for biking, walking and rolling – for what’s termed “active transportation.” But not only that – we know that just having a facility that crosses the river is not enough. We have to tie into existing facilities and make sure there are connections and easy ways for folks to access the facility crossing the river.

91��Ƶ: During construction, will the existing Interstate Bridge remain up? How are you planning for traffic impacts during construction and what is the fate of the existing bridge if a new one is built?

Johnson: Right now, the game plan is to have the existing bridge remain in service until the new bridge is built. And there will be a time when we’ll have to shut down to make a tie-in, and it will be a partial shutdown. It will be so disruptive to the flow of traffic in the area, so we’ll incentivize any contractor to make that connection and move traffic to the new bridge as quickly as possible.

But the old bridge will be there until we get traffic switched, and then we will piece by piece remove the old bridge and recycle parts of it. We hope that we’ll be able to incorporate other parts into other useful things on the project footprint, such as crushing concrete for things as simple as armoring slopes so we don’t get erosion – things of that nature.

Currently it costs $1.2 million (annually) to maintain (the existing) bridge, and that cost is only going to go higher as inflation creeps up. Some folks have asked why don’t we just leave the old bridge and use it as supplemental? It’s a very expensive bridge to maintain and keep in place. And then, it still would be seismically vulnerable.

91��Ƶ: How about outreach to contractors? Have you begun that process yet?

Johnson: Not in a structured way as of yet. Contractors have been knocking at the door, wondering where we are in the process. So we’ve – on an ad hoc basis – answered those questions about where we are in general. But once we start getting to a point where we have a more defined project, we’re going to bring in contractors to get them fully up to speed on what this is so they can start their planning processes, because this is going to be such a large undertaking. It’s going to absorb a lot of local contractors and attract a lot of national and, potentially, international contractors who will want to be a part of this. So those conversations will probably start in 2023.

We know the workforce is going to be key critical. So we’re going to be working with the industry – both the labor unions as well as the contractors – to set up pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. We’re going to be working closely with (I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project team members), since they will be getting started before us, to make sure that folks can go seamlessly from pre-apprenticeship to apprentice to journeyman in the span of the lifetime of these two projects.

So we’re looking for folks to build careers. That’s one of the challenges in the construction industry is we have a lot of people aging out. So we have to find new blood and new ways to bring a more diverse face to who is working on projects.

91��Ƶ: Is there anything you would like to add?

Johnson: One of the things I’ve been stressing to all of the partners, to the community members in our advisory groups, is we cannot let perfect – the perfect project – be the enemy of the good. There is no such thing as a perfect project. But there are some very good projects that are out there and some very good ideas for this one that can improve the circumstances.

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When Washington Gov. Jay Inslee this week issued guidance calling for most construction projects in the state to shut down, reactions from the building industry came swiftly.

The original “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order from Inslee’s office included construction among industries considered essential and able to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. But then a clarification issued Wednesday made clear that construction must shut down through April 8. The governor could also choose to extend the order at his discretion.

But the ambiguously worded “clarification” has raised additional questions. What seemed allowable Monday suddenly wasn’t on Wednesday.

“The frustration for us has been that lack of clarity,” Nelson Holmberg, executive director of the Southwest Washington Contractors Association, said Thursday. “We spent the whole week from Monday through last night seeking clarity, and the latest memo still leaves things up in the air a little bit. We’re getting a lot of calls from members concerned about what to do, and we’re advising our members to live to the letter of the law right now.”

Construction, with a few exceptions, is not considered “essential” under the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. Those exceptions are:

• “construction related to essential activities as described in the order;
• to further a public purpose related to a public entity or governmental function or facility, including but not limited to publicly financed low-income housing; or
• to prevent spoliation and avoid damage or unsafe conditions, and address emergency repairs at both nonessential businesses and residential structures.”

A memo issued by the Associated General Contractors of Washington indicated that while the Washington State Department of Transportation is shutting down virtually all of its projects, school districts and other public entities are authorized to make their own decisions whether to proceed with public infrastructure work. Publicly funded low-income housing projects will be allowed to continue, but market-rate residential projects will not.

“We are disappointed in the governor’s decision, but we also realize that the health of citizens and our workforce is paramount,” AGC of Washington Executive Director David D’Hondt stated in the group’s memo. “In the meantime, we will continue to work with the governor’s office to help get construction going as soon as possible.”

Todd Horenstein, assistant superintendent for facility support services with Vancouver Public Schools, confirmed public school work now under way is proceeding under practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our projects are continuing,” Horenstein stated via email. “We have an exemption under the governor’s memo sent out yesterday. School projects are considered necessary for public purpose; all of our contractors are working and practicing safe working condition as guided by the CDC.”

Private-sector jobsites and projects, however, now have to be secured during the shutdown.

“The BIA is deeply disappointed with the governor’s clarification issued last night,” Building Industry Association of Clark County Executive Director Avaly Scarpelli said Thursday. “He significantly narrowed the original order, which allowed for housing construction. (The) clarification of the order is a devastating blow to the building industry and local economy.”

The short-term effect, she added, will be a backlog in builders’ ability to provide housing units.

“Many (builders) are now facing the hard decision to lay off eager-to-work employees at this time,” Scarpelli said.

Perlo Construction builds large industrial and commercial projects – including logistics facilities – in both Oregon and Washington. Todd Duwe, the company’s director of business development, said the firm is approaching its work on a case-by-case basis.

“We’re just trying to get more clarification of that essential business component,” Duwe said. “Our preference is to keep jobs open and keep moving forward. For instance, logistics companies and distribution can be considered essential – they are delivering food, medicines and other things – and I think the governor’s office is still reviewing that, and there is still communication with industry on that.”

Jennifer Spall, communications director for the Building Industry Association of Washington, echoed this.

“We’ve been inundated with calls from members asking ‘Where is the line?’” she said. “We’re taking those on one by one right now.”

The state opened a website for affected parties to ask just that question, while the BIAW and other groups are coordinating with state agencies to ensure unemployment insurance and other benefits will be available to construction workers out of work as a result of the crisis. The pending federal emergency stimulus package is another potential source of relief, Spall added.

“We’re not only spending a lot of time answering questions; we’re just hearing heartbreaking stories about people having to lay off employees,” she said. “They don’t know how they’re going to struggle to make it through this. We’re still coming through all that and trying to understand what it all means.”

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The Oregon and Washington transportation agencies are looking to hire an executive to oversee the Interstate Bridge replacement project.

The program administrator would lead the program office and be responsible to both the Oregon and Washington transportation departments.

“We need to do everything possible to set this program up for success to meet the needs of the bistate region,” Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar stated in a news release. “Having one top executive for the office that jointly represents both states will provide consistent leadership and a unified vision for the program.”

A national recruitment for the position is being conducted by J. Tedesco & Associates.

“Replacing the Interstate Bridge is essential for the economic vitality, resiliency and livability of the entire Portland-Vancouver region,” Oregon Transportation Director Kris Strickler stated. “Finding a program administrator who can effectively lead the work of the office as a partnership effort will be critical to successfully identify a solution that truly reflects community needs and values.”

The two states have pledged a total of $44 million to form a joint bridge office to study past plans and evaluate future options. The previous attempt to replace the century-old infrastructure between Portland and Vancouver, the Columbia River Crossing proposal, fell apart in 2013. That prompted acrimony between state leaders.

In November 2019, Govs. Kate Brown and Jay Inslee held a joint press conference in Vancouver to push for the project.

The job posting is available at .

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