Committee Spotlight: Stormwater - Projects Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in the Pacific Northwest
Category: Stormwater
May
08
On November 5, 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Since then, the federal government has provided funding for various infrastructure projects. In the Pacific Northwest, funding has been awarded to projects that improve access to clean drinking water, provide access to reliable high-speed internet, repair and rebuild roads and bridges, improve multimodal transportation, upgrade power infrastructure, and provide forest fire protection.
Information on the breakdown of funding given to Idaho, Washington, and Oregon can be found in Part 1 of the blog post series here: Committee Spotlight: Stormwater (pncwa.org)
Key infrastructure projects that have been funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon are detailed in the following sections.
Idaho
As of February 2023, 165 infrastructure projects have been funded throughout the State of Idaho. A few of the projects are listed below.
- Airport Infrastructure Grants
- 35 airports have been awarded grants to improve infrastructure including the Boise Airport and rural airstrips across Idaho.
- The Boise Airport plans to use the funding to improve energy efficiency to heat and cool the terminal and reimbursement for strengthening, lengthening, and widening existing taxiways to serve an Amazon facility.
- Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Projects
- Clearwater Memorial Bridge in Lewistown will undergo rehabilitation and retrofit to improve safety and functionality.
- Upgrades will be made to highway interchanges across the state. Including:
- I-86 and I-15 interchange in Pocatello
- I-90 and Idaho 41 interchange in Post Falls
- I-15 interchange in Fort Hall
- The funding will be used to construct a pedestrian and bicyclist tunnel in American Falls.
- Idaho Department of Water Quality (IDEQ) Projects
- Fundings will be used to expand PFAS and emerging contaminants projects.
- IDEQ will provide dedicated funding over the next five years to replace lead pipelines.
- State Revolving Funds will be expanded including:
- Additional $17 million for wastewater projects
- Additional $8 million per year for drinking water projects for next five years
- Increase Broadband Access in Rural Areas
- The funding will help bring broadband to over 577,009 acres of land on the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation in Fort Hall.
- Forest Service Revitalization Projects
- Two million acres of forest in Boise and Payette national forests will be revitalized. Efforts include: removing the buildup of dead trees and other flammable material, removing invasive species, and replenishing forests with new trees.
- Treasure Valley Road and Transit Projects
- Funding will be put towards acquiring more electric buses and public transportation infrastructure upgrades on State Street in Boise.
Washington
495 different infrastructure projects have been funded through the State of Washington. A few of the projects are listed below.
- Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Projects
- WSDOT plans to reconnect communities divided by I-90 across the state and create safe and accessible transportation from Seattle to Spokane.
- Funding will be used to better connect residents from nearby communities to Yakima to increase access to services and jobs.
- Safe pedestrian and bicyclist crossings will be built on US 97 and SR 22.
- Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport Upgrades
- Funding will be used to reconstruct Airport Road to provide a wider roadway section, shared-use path, intersection roundabout, pedestrian sidewalk, and a bus stop.
- Lummi Island Ferry Project
- Funding will be used to replace the Lummi Island Ferry with an electric battery-powered ferry and modernize systems in Whatcom County.
- Adjustments will be made to terminal structures to accommodate the new ferry and electrical charging infrastructure.
- City of Lynnwood Bridge Project
- The City of Lynnwood plans to construct a new multi-lane bridge over I-5 between 196th Street SW (SR 524)/Poplar Way and 33rd Avenue W/Alderwood Mall Boulevard.
- The project aims to relieve traffic congestion and improve access to development downtown and includes a shared-use path.
- City of Bothell Roadway Upgrades
- Funding will be used to widen Bothell Way NE from Reder Way to 191st St NE to five lanes of traffic with dedicated turn lanes and signals at high-volume intersections.
- The project also includes pedestrian and bicyclist lanes along with fish habitat enhancement and crossings.
- City of Spokane Valley Highway-Rail Crossing Replacement
- Funding allows for replacing highway-rail crossings SR 27 and BNSF Railway tracks.
- A new Pines Road Underpass will improve the supply chain and create a safer environment for all modes of transportation.
- Port of Seattle Terminal Upgrades
- Funding will be used to Upgrade Terminal 5 to reduce carbon emissions.
- Funding will be used to construct a cargo container storage yard by demolishing an unused warehouse and repurposing the land.
- Port of Longview Rail Corridor Expansion
- The Port of Longview Rail Line will be expanded, adding 8,500 ft of tracks, and increasing in length to help congestion, and efficiency and provide space to add tracks in the future.
- Washington Department of Ecology Water Quality Combined Funding Program
- Additional funding will be made available for grants and loads in 124 high-priority clean water projects.
- Washington Department of Ecology will also support local communities by helping them upgrade wastewater treatment and sewer systems, manage stormwater pollution, and support nonpoint source pollution clean-up efforts.
Oregon
Over 140 infrastructure projects in Oregon have been identified for Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill funding. A few of the projects are listed below.
- City of Salem McGilchrist Street Upgrades
- The funding will allow for the reconstruction of McGilchrist Street in South Salem.
- The project includes 8,500 ft of new roadway, the addition of sidewalks, separated bike lanes, two creek crossings, and a new traffic signal.
- Multnomah County Burnside Bridge
- Funding will allow for the replacement of the 96-year-old Burnside Bridge over the Willamette River in downtown Portland.
- The rebuilt bridge will have wider bike lanes and sidewalks separated from vehicle traffic and will be designed to withstand major earthquakes.
- Beaverton Downtown Loop Project
- The Beaverton Downtown loop reconstruction will provide safer streets with wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, new bus stops, and improved traffic signals.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineering Port of Coos Bay Project
- The proposed Coos Bay Channel Modification Project would deepen and widen the Federal navigation channel through the Port of Coos Bay.
- In addition, a container terminal is proposed that could bring in up to 1 million 40-foot crates each year, providing an alternative to containers crowding the coast of southern California and bringing more trade through Oregon.
- Airport Infrastructure Grants
- Funding was split among the six commercial airports in Oregon, Portland, Eugene, North Bend, Medford, Redmond, and Pendleton. The state’s 51 general aviation airports, which serve local communities and private pilots stand to receive additional funds.
- Funding for the Portland Airport includes a terminal expansion and upgrades to the mass-timber roof.
- Expand Broadband Network
- Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, along with the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, are working together to expand broadband access to underserved communities using Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill funding.
Author:
Shannon Kronz, EIT, Civil Engineer, Brown and Caldwell
[email protected], (208) 389-7709
PNCWA Stormwater Committee Co-Chair
References:
https://boisedev.com/news/2023/02/27/infrastructure-act-idaho/
https://tacomaweekly.com/bidens-infrastructure-law-heres-what-washington-received-p4225-95.htm
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