WATCH: New federal bridge dollars could speed replacement of I Street Bridge
Sacramento elected leaders highlight shovel-ready I Street Bridge for federal funding
When: Noon, Friday Jan. 14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New federal bridge dollars could speed replacement of I Street Bridge
Sacramento (Jan. 14, 2022) The largest bridge repair and replacement program in the nation’s history launches today as the Federal Highway Administration announces how much money will flow to each state. Elected officials from Sacramento and West Sacramento will help kick off the program by highlighting the new I Street Bridge. This shovel-ready project, already approved by Caltrans, is a perfect candidate for funding.
A total of $26.5 billion will go to states over five years as a result of the bipartisan infrastructure package recently approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. California will receive $849 million, more than double any other state.
The current I Street Bridge, built 110 years ago, is too narrow for buses, lacks bike lanes and is particularly hazardous for pedestrians. The replacement, which was designed with extensive public input, includes car lanes, bike lanes and a broad pedestrian walkway with built-in benches.
For the past nine years, the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento have been advancing planning and design of the I Street Bridge Replacement Project (Project) based on the expectation of previously programmed and committed $188 million in funding from the Caltrans-administered Highway Bridge Replacement Program (HBP). This Project has been a top priority for both cities for almost two decades due to the limited existing connectivity across the Sacramento River, which creates significant negative environmental and public health impacts, restricts emergency access, and creates natural disaster vulnerabilities for the region.
Despite Caltrans approval, securing the necessary funding for the entire project has been a challenge due to a need for local agencies to self-fund bridge projects costing more than $20 million and get reimbursed over a number of years. There is no feasible transportation bonding agency or regional transportation agency in the Sacramento County/Yolo County region that has the capacity or authority to advance this level of funding or that can issue bonds for this project. This bipartisan infrastructure package will provide the funding and financial flexibility needed to get this project off the ground.
Who: Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg; West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero; State Senator Dr. Richard Pan; Assemblymember Jim Cooper: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty; Glenda Corcoran, District Director for U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui; Councilmember Jeff Harris
When: Noon, Friday Jan. 14
Where: City Water Intake facility next to the Matsui Waterfront Park at 450 Jibboom Street., just south of the new SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
######
