Aging bridges in 16 states will be improved or replaced with the help of $5B in federal funding

Dozens of aging bridges in 16 states will be replaced or improved with the help of $5 billion in federal grants announced Wednesday by President Joe Biden's administration, the latest beneficiaries of a massive infrastructure law.

The projects range from coast to coast, with the largest providing an additional $1.4 billion to help replace two vertical lift bridges over the Columbia River that carry Interstate 5 traffic between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. The bridges, which also received $600 million in December, are "the worst trucking bottleneck" in the region, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

The new bridges will be seismically resilient and multimodal, with room for vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and transit.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek described the federal funding as “fantastic news” that will aid the economy while also advancing “goals of reducing carbon emissions and curbing the effects of climate change.”