July 27, 2023

WSDOT in early throes of $100M I-5 bridge replacement

Photos from WSDOT [enlarge]

The steel truss bridge was built in 1936 and is listed as “structurally deficient.”

Crews with the state Department of Transportation earlier this month installed steel plates beneath the right lane of the East Fork Lewis River bridge that carries northbound Interstate 5 about three miles south of Woodland in Clark County.

WSDOT says those repairs strengthen the bridge and prevent weight restrictions for trucks hauling freight until permanent repairs can be made. Those “permanent repairs” will consist of a new bridge that will cost about $100 million.

The agency is targeting next January to solicit a design-build contractor, though a specific date hasn't been locked in yet. The project's website says a request for proposals will follow that initial request for qualifications, sometime next spring. The contract could be awarded in winter 2024, with construction to start in spring 2025. The project webpage shows a timeline of 2020-2028.

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The existing bridge spans the East Fork Lewis River about three miles south of Woodland.

WSDOT crews earlier this week closed lanes leading up to the bridge to collect data for the replacement bridge. The agency says environmental documentation should be finished this summer.

An advance notice of the upcoming work in May 2021 described the new bridge as having three 12-foot lanes and 10-foot shoulders. The job would include constructing embankment and retaining walls, relocating utilities, constructing new stormwater facilities, performing ground improvements, and restoring Paradise Point State Park day-use area underneath the bridges.

The project webpage indicates there is $75.23 million in funding, including $39.43 million in preexisting funds and $35.8 million from the Connecting Washington Act transportation package.

WSDOT says the replacement bridge will meet today's standards for safety and design. The existing steel truss bridge was built in 1936 and is listed as “structurally deficient.” It carries over 38,000 vehicles daily, with almost 18% of that being large commercial trucks.