ODOT Proposes Using $160 Million in Federal Highway Funds For Mid-Valley I-5 Bridge Improvements

The OTIA III left some needs on I-5 -- the state’s primary freight and commercial route unfunded.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM) - The Oregon Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed the use of a $160 million federal funding package for Interstate 5 bridge improvements not addressed by the Oregon Transportation Investment Act.

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon`s Fourth Congressional District secured the funding last summer as part of the federal highway bill approved by Congress.

ODOT plans to use these funds to make significant upgrades to I-5 that will complement the commitment made by Gov. Kulongoski and the Oregon Legislature to improve the state`s transportation infrastructure under OTIA III, which dedicated $1.6 billion to repair and replace hundreds of bridges on state and local routes.

ODOT will recommend that the Oregon Transportation Commission allocate the funds as follows:

Widening of replaced bridges -- $52.72 million

Raising bridges with limited vertical clearance -- $50.45 million

Repair or replacement of bridges not covered by OTIA III -- $29.03 million

Reconstruction of the I-5 Winchester (Exit 129) interchange -- $15 million

Many of the overpasses on I-5 between Salem and Cottage Grove lack the 16 foot,

8 inch vertical clearance necessary for oversize loads to pass under.

The low clearance forces many freight trucks to detour off the freeway onto state, county and local roads.

Such detours increase shipping costs and place large trucks onto local routes such as Highway 99W � which doubles as Main Street for many small cities.

The detouring trucks create congestion and safety problems in these communities.

`I`m glad we are putting some money into raising those bridges to keep those

big rigs on the freeway and out of the towns like Junction City, Harrisburg and Cottage Grove," said Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer.

`Going through town with those big rigs is not safe."

There are 10 factories that produce manufactured homes in Oregon, and most are in the Willamette Valley.

In 2005, the factories produced 14,000 home sections, 60 percent of which were shipped out of the state, said Don Miner of the Oregon Manufactured Housing Association.

About 75 percent of the industry`s loads traveling on I-5 between Salem and Cottage Grove are forced to take northbound or southbound Highway 99W to avoid the low overpasses.

`Allowing heavy trucks transporting oversize loads to use I-5 instead of Highway 99W will improve highway safety, the livability of communities along 99W and reduce transportation costs for Oregon businesses," said Bob Russell, president of the Oregon Trucking Association.

`As an Oregonian, I want to thank Congressman DeFazio and the Oregon Transportation

Commission for moving these trucks off of Main Street and back to the interstate where they belong."

ODOT will recommend that six overpasses in Lane County and five overpasses in Linn County be raised.

Once complete, the additional clearance on those bridges will put about 85 percent of trucks now using detours back on I-5.

ODOT will dedicate the remainder of the funding to fixing a number of bridges that weren`t covered in OTIA III.

About $15 million will be spent to rebuild the I-5 Winchester interchange (Exit 129) in Douglas County.

The enhanced interchange will provide better access to a large industrial area and help spur job creation in Douglas County.

In addition to the $160 million for I-5 bridges, DeFazio also secured $40 million for state bridges throughout Oregon.

The funding will go into the ODOT bridge program for various projects and will help offset expected funding reductions in the bridge program to accommodate future repayment of the OTIA III bonds.