Concrete Interests Meet to Discuss Pacific Northwest Bridge Replacement

NRMCA Senior Directors Greg Halsted (Local Paving) and Patrick Matsche (Building Innovations) along with Diane Warner, executive director of the Northwest Cement Council (NCC), recently met with members of the leadership team for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) to discuss how cement and concrete applications could meet the longevity, durability and sustainability targets for the Columbia River bridge replacement project. Assistance was offered to IBRP, including concrete mix design review, guide specification assistance and CO2 reduction calculations. The meeting was an excellent first step to ensure that all participants were on the same page to have a successful project completion, Halsted said.

The IBRP will replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA, with aims to improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance mobility for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users. Slated to break ground in late 2025, the IBRP is a $6 billion, 10- to 15-year project that will include new roadways and interchanges, light rail expansion, and shared use paths in addition to a new earthquake-resilient, multimodal Interstate 5 bridge. Greg Johnson, the program administrator for IBRP, called the meeting “timely” and looked forward to continued discussions.

Halsted, Matsche and Warner assured IBRP staff that they would be with them every step of the way on their project while also emphasizing the assistance available through NRMCA's Pave Ahead and Build With Strength programs and the NCC.

For more information on the IBRP, contact Greg Halsted at ghalsted@nrmca.org or Patrick Matsche at pmatsche@nrmca.org.