The historic drawbridge that connects Washington to Oregon along Interstate Highway 5 is in the beginning stages of an entire rebuild. Initiating goals to better accommodate architectural safety, quicker transportation and climate concerns, one team is determined to build a stronger platform that effectively serves the region and its respective communities.
Over a century has passed since the original northbound bridge was built on top of wooden piles and loose soil. Continued heavy use of the bridge, as well as potential natural disasters, threaten its structural soundness. The Interstate Bridge Replacement program is beginning plans to reconstruct a more modern bridge, with community needs at the forefront of their priorities.
“We’ve had conversations with each of the tribal governments that are affected in this region and are connected to the Columbia River. So we’ve talked about fishing rights, and how we plan on protecting the river through the construction process as well. … Our steps are much more rigorous than are required, because we know that this is tremendously important to this region.” – Greg Johnson
The northbound section of the Interstate Bridge was originally constructed in 1917, becoming the first automobile bridge to span the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, according to the IBR program’s website. Back then, there was a 5 cent toll to cross the 38-foot-wide roadway. 40 years later, the bridge became part of I-5, and it has operated ever since as a major site of transportation for both people and goods along the national interstate system.
The IBR program is working with both legislatures between the two states, as well as the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, to ensure that community and infrastructure needs are being met throughout the building process. Greg Johnson, the IBR program’s administrator, explains climate concerns and equity are the two primary focuses of the program’s team during the initial planning stages.
“Everything we do, we have to make sure that we are not creating more greenhouse gas production in this corridor. We have to make sure we are [considering] the folks who have generally borne the burden of transportation projects, that their voices are heard and that they will see the benefits that come from a project of this size,” Johnson said.
At the intersection of climate change and equity lies the community’s needs, which is a large focus in the IBR program’s goals for reconstructing the Interstate Bridge. Originally built on the lands of Cowlitz and Multnomah tribes, the Interstate Bridge has negatively impacted Indigenous communities such as Grand Ronde and Siletz peoples who reside along the Columbia River.
With heavy rains saturating the Pacific Northwest, runoff from the bridge goes directly into the river, polluting the native waters of the Columbia. As for the reconstruction of the bridge, Johnson explains the IBR program will build a water collection system, which takes runoff water to a detention facility to filter out pollutants before releasing water back into the river.
“We’ve had conversations with each of the tribal governments that are affected in this region and are connected to the Columbia River. So we’ve talked about fishing rights, and how we plan on protecting the river through the construction process as well. … Our steps are much more rigorous than are required, because we know that this is tremendously important to this region,” Johnson explained.
Equity for all Black Indigenous People of Color is a key aspect when considering the purposes of the rebuild. When the original Interstate Bridge was built, the community on the Portland side of the bridge was split, causing Black-owned businesses to close and separate from public transportation. Not only are these issues prevalent, but minority groups are still disproportionately affected by greenhouse gases produced by heavy traffic.
“We are talking to our partners about a system-wide approach to minimizing greenhouse gases. We are only five miles of roadway in a system of thousands of miles of interstate on each side of the river. So we know that we can’t change the entire dynamic, but we can make important changes that can be mimicked in other projects. … We’ve created a climate framework to talk about how we can have the lowest impact on the climate in both the planning, design, construction and the operation phases of the project,” Johnson explained.
While equity is a major concern for the IBR program, additionally, they are aiming to reduce congestion, create more availability for public transportation and improve freight traffic. Expanding accessibility for public transportation and pedestrian traffic is another way of combating climate change, in small capacities. Raising the bridge so that it will no longer need to be drawn for river traffic will also reduce greenhouse gases by removing the rate of exhaustion created by stop-and-go traffic.
Armando Antonino, president of the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver and senior majoring in integrated strategic communication, said students in Portland would have a better opportunity to benefit from WSU Vancouver’s PDX tuition advantage. This tuition allows Portland residents to attend WSU Vancouver without paying out-of-state tuition. With a reconstructed bridge that has more transportation opportunities, WSU Vancouver would be able to further diversify its student body and make the campus more accessible.
“Historically, when infrastructure projects like highways and bridges were originally created, they decimated communities of color and as a result, those communities are still trying to [repair] the damage that was caused. Priorities for this project should be focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and what’s going to work for everybody,” Antonino said. “At the end of the day, we need an equitable way to move be- tween Portland and Vancouver in a safe, effective and reliable manner, [while keeping in mind] whose communities are at stake and whose communities could benefit or be harmed.”
As of now, the IBR program’s project is still in infrastructure stages and is currently working toward a supplemental environmental impact statement. Once that process is complete, the project will go into design in 2024, and hopefully, begin construction in 2025.
Note from the editor: A previous version of this story stated the bridge was built on top of woodpiles. The correct wording is wooden piles as there is an important distinction between the two. Additionally, the story stated a government agency is titled the Federal Transit Authority Administration. The correct title is the Federal Transit Administration.
Arabelle is a senior studying English at WSU Vancouver.