Can climate funds be used to fix WA’s aging bridges? Lawmakers are debating it
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- About 10% of Washington bridges exceed 80 years, prompting maintenance debate.
- Lawmakers clash over using Climate Commitment Act funds for bridge replacement and repair.
- Gov. Bob Ferguson proposes $2.1B for transportation infrastructure investments.
About 10% of Washington’s bridges are more than eight decades old, a statistic that has lawmakers concerned about the state’s transportation maintenance and preservation needs.
The westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge, for instance, was completed in 1950. In April, drivers lost access to the 103-year-old Carbon River Fairfax Bridge in Pierce County, which shuttered permanently because of safety issues.
Leaders of the state’s transportation committees agreed during a Friday transportation budget panel ahead of the legislative session that bridges rank high in terms of Washington’s maintenance and preservation demands — but they also don’t come cheap.
The lawmakers diverged on whether funding generated from the Climate Commitment Act, which seeks to cap and decrease pollution from the state’s leading industries and greenhouse-gas emitters, should be allowed to cover bridge expenses. CCA money is used to help fund clean transportation and climate-resiliency programs, also addressing health inequities and environmental justice.
The state’s largest polluters are required to take part in the act’s cap-and-invest program, either opting to cut back on their emissions or buying pollution allowances. Since 2023, the act has generated about $4.3 billion, The Seattle Times reported.
WSDOT has said the projected cost to build a Fairfax Bridge replacement to the north of the existing bridge would be roughly $160 million, The News Tribune reported. Not replacing the bridge, and just removing the existing one, would cost up to $80 million. The agency is still considering both those options.
State Rep. Jake Fey, a Tacoma Democrat who noted that the Narrows Bridge stands at the edge of his district, said that because of the state’s unique environment, it requires ample investment in its many bridges.
“And I would hope that we would set it up so that we target bridges, so that citizens know which bridges are going to get fixed and when,” said Fey, who chairs the House Transportation Committee.
State Sen. Marko Liias, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, referenced the significant number of octogenarian-aged bridges across the state.
“We can do all the work we can to keep those in good condition, but you reach a point where you have to just replace those structures,” the Edmonds Democrat said during Friday’s panel. “They’re not intended to last for centuries.”
Liias has stated that climate dollars can’t be tapped for roadwork. In his view, those funds should instead be used to ensure that the state’s fleets can convert to clean fuels, to broaden transit access and to help residents convert to electric vehicles.
Gov. Bob Ferguson made transportation maintenance and preservation a priority in his proposed supplemental budget. The Democrat wants $2.1 billion to go toward investments in infrastructure for the upkeep of bridges and roads without boosting taxes.
This comes after transportation officials sounded the alarm about the impact of the lack of funding for preserving highways and bridges.
The Washington State Standard reported in October that Troy Suing, director of capital program development and management for the Washington State Department of Transportation, told a panel the state is “in the early stages of critical failure due to lack of funding.”
In 2024, fewer than 10 of the state’s 100 steel bridges that were in need of repainting got treated, according to the Washington State Standard.
State Rep. Andrew Barkis, an Olympia Republican, said during the Friday panel that there isn’t a more glaring example of the state’s bridge-maintenance issue than the Fairfax Bridge. He explained that the span hadn’t been painted in decades, leading to its closure and the isolation of Carbon Canyon residents.
Barkis, ranking member of the House Transportation Committee, said getting that bridge replaced should be a priority for the Legislature.
He sponsored a bill that would allow the state to use its climate commitment account for its emergency replacement, citing “failure to adequately address the impacts of climate.”
“We must look at some of these as an emergency situation, like the Wilkeson bridge, the Fairfax Bridge, and not go into a situation where we’re looking at eight to 10 years to replace critical infrastructure,” he added.
State Sen. Curtis King, a Yakima Republican, argued that CCA funding could be wisely used to slash emissions on bridges and roads. For example, King said, when a bridge is out of commission — leading residents who depend on it to travel long detour routes — then mending that bridge would lead to a reduction in emissions.
Another example from King: adding a bike and pedestrian path as part of a bridge project would also help pare down pollution. He noted that CCA funding has been used for ferry electrification and asked: Shouldn’t a new pedestrian-bike path also be recognized?
The 60-day 2026 legislative session starts Monday.
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