Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, held an I-5 Bridge replacement roundtable to discuss local priorities, as well as the recently released Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

The roundtable, held at the IBR Program office, included a diversity of roughly three dozen stakeholders, including labor union representatives; bridge users and commuters; representatives of commercial, barge, and public transportation; state lawmakers; and city, small business, and trades leaders. 

After an update from IBR Program Administrator Greg Johnson on the Draft SEIS, the group had an open discussion which spanned the need to reduce congestion, build up the trades workforce of the future, support veterans who rely on the bridge to access healthcare, and ensure a representative sample of public feedback informs the project design.

“I appreciate all the folks who took the time to come out and discuss the future of this investment in our region, including Ranking Member Larsen, and it’s wonderful to see the momentum behind getting this massive bridge replacement done. Having our tradespeople, small businesses, and local drivers at the table is critically important when we discuss how we can build a bridge that reflects our values and we’re proud to pass on to our kids and grandkids,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “My community didn’t ask for bells and whistles – we want durability and congestion relief. I encourage folks to submit public comment about the bridge design to make our values heard – and I’ll continue to urge the IBR Program to prioritize traffic relief, tolling reductions, and a cost-effective bridge.”

“You cannot have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure,” said Rep. Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s leadership, the I-5 Bridge replacement project is one step closer to reality. I will continue working with Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez and with state, local, and Tribal partners to get this project across the finish line to create more jobs and keep people and the economy moving.”

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez released a statement last week expressing her concerns about tolling proposals for the new bridge. Last month, she urged the IBR Program to prioritize Southwest Washington bridge users’ concerns in the final project design – both through the cost-effective use of resources to limit tolling and increased vehicular capacity to reduce congestion.

The efforts come after Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez helped secure $2.099 billion in federal funding to replace the I-5 Bridge, including a $1.499 billion Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant in July and a $600 million Mega grant in December.

The I-5 Bridge is a crucial linchpin in both the regional and national economy and plays a vital role in transporting freight along the I-5 corridor. $132 million worth of freight crossed the I-5 Bridge daily in 2020 and 131,747 vehicles crossed each weekday in 2021.

Despite the bridge’s importance, the I-5 Bridge is rated the worst truck bottleneck in Washington and Oregon and the fifth-worst on the West Coast. With seven to 10 hours of traffic daily and a crash rate more than three times higher than Washington averages, it is critical that the final project design effectively and economically addresses congestion for local drivers, commuters, and truckers.