Rep. Andrea Salinas Advocates for Oregon’s Roads and Bridges Before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to advocate for federal funding for critical infrastructure updates across Oregon's Sixth District. Rep. Salinas discussed the urgent need for highway improvements along the I-5 corridor and spotlighted projects such as the Newberg-Dundee Bypass, seismic resiliency for bridges on the Willamette River, and changes to the dangerous junction of Highway 51 and OR-22 near Salem. Rep. Salinas emphasized that the updates are critical for both the safety and economic development of the region and urged the Committee to fund and expand grant programs like BUILD, MEGA, and RURAL to address these problems.

Click hereto watch Rep. Salinas' full remarks.

A transcript of Salinas' remarks is available below:

Thank you, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larson, and to the Committee for all your good work. And I'm excited to be here to be able to share Oregon's Sixth District priorities

As I know Ranking Member Larson is quite aware, the I-5 corridor is the most important transportation artery across the Pacific Northwest.

Access to I-5 is essential for economic development, allowing businesses to get their goods to market.

In my district, one of the most important projects undertaken in recent years is the Newberg-Dundee Bypass.

This highway improvement is a critical link to bring existing and anticipated economic development to this rural region by creating a safer, more efficient connection between these rural communities and I-5.

My local stakeholders estimate that finishing this project could create over 6,000 new manufacturing jobs alone by improving the movement of goods on the west side of the Willamette Valley to the heart of my district through Interstate 5.

It will also provide significant safety improvements by moving freight traffic off of our local roads.

The corridor is part of Oregon's critical rural freight network used by more than 3,000 trucks a day.

From 2018-22, this quarter experienced 141 crashes, including 11 fatal or serious-injury crashes, highlighting the urgent need for these safety improvements.

While increasing the capacity to transport goods to I-5 was critical, it is not the sole goal. The highway itself also needs upgrades to improve capacity and seismic resiliency. We have those earthquakes out in the West.

The I-5 Boone Bridge crosses the Willamette River in Wilsonville, just south of Portland, and is a critical link for freight moving up and down the West Coast.

The bridge is part of Oregon's designated Seismic Lifeline Route and is at serious risk of failure in a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.

More than 126,000 vehicles, including an average of 17,000 trucks, cross the bridge each day.

We must replace the bridge to adapt to economic growth in the region and ensure the safety of our communities from natural disasters.

We also desperately need to improve the junction of Highway 51 and Oregon 22, which is the primary route for tourism and freight to the Oregon Coast, and for people to access that amazing Pinot Noir wine that everyone loves.

According to Oregon Department of Transportation statistics, this junction saw 154 crashes between 2016 and 2022, with 10 resulting in fatalities.

Not only is the junction itself dangerous, it provides critical access to Salem's regional trauma center for residents of Polk and Yamhill counties who deserve those safe and accessible roadways when every second really matters.

All of these projects have strong financial support from local and state governments, but they cannot get over the finish line without federal support.

As your Committee prepares to advance the multi-year surface transportation reauthorization, I urge you to consider the impact on projects just like these and offer your strong support for the federal partnerships that actually make them possible.

Federal competitive grant programs are essential tools for projects like these, but they are often oversubscribed and underfunded. Programs like BUILD and MEGA can help make these projects pencil out.

I encourage you to consider providing as much flexibility as possible for these funding opportunities to allow the Department of Transportation to tailor its support to the specific needs of the project.

RURAL grants are especially important. This program is designed to help projects in rural areas that are also often overlooked. Importantly, RURAL grants can cover up to 100% of the project cost. This flexibility allows large projects to move forward in under-resourced communities like mine. Unfortunately, the RURAL program has seen significantly more demand than it can support.

I urge you to consider drastically expanding this program to maximize investments in the communities that need the most.

I look forward to offering my help as the Committee moves forward with the surface transportation reauthorization, and I appreciate the opportunity to share some of my projects. I'm happy to take questions. Thank you.

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