Gov. Kate Brown and Gov. Jay Inslee to Kick Off Interstate Bridge Project Monday

The two governors will mark a formal start to a new I-5 bridge project.

By Rachel Monahan

Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.) and Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) will mark a formal restart to the effort to replace the I-5 bridge that spans the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Wash.

The two states have already have dedicated $44 million to get the work started on a multi-billion-dollar Interstate Bridge project.

"The current interstate bridge is over 100 years old, and it's showing its age. Replacing the interstate bridge is critical to the safety and economies of both Oregon and Washington," Brown said in a statement.

"Our states are more interconnected than ever, and by working together, we can make our communities and roads safer while we improve mobility and support the economic vitality of our communities."

The last, $3 billion effort, called the Columbia River Crossing, failed in 2013. Legislators from both state have already been meeting to restart the effort.

The two governors will meet Nov. 18 at 10:30 at the office of the Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver, Wash.

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