Language in the final congressional transportation agreement will ensure that roads and bridges in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (NSA) are improved, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) announced on Tuesday.
Under the House and Senate’s long-term, bipartisan transportation agreement, expected to be passed by both chambers in the near future, federal highway, transit and highway safety programs will be reauthorized.
“Residents and visitors alike depend on efficient and safe transportation in the Columbia Gorge,” Walden said. “The federal government must recognize that unique areas like the Gorge should be eligible for transportation projects to replace crumbling roads and bridges. Last month, the House unanimously passed our bipartisan proposal to do just that, and I worked hard to include it in the final House and Senate transportation agreement. When this proposal becomes law soon, it will be a win for Gorge residents, visitors, and our local economy.”
Walden worked closely with Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) last month to add language to the House transportation bill to ensure eligibility for federal transportation grants for projects within the NSA, including the Columbia River Gorge NSA. This funding will allow projects to better serve the needs of their local economies, residents and visitors.
Seven other Northwest senators and representatives also signed a letter, led by Walden, calling on negotiators in the House and Senate to include the language in the final agreement.
“While scenic areas like the Columbia Gorge provide tourist opportunities to thousands of visiting Americans from all across the country, this unique federal involvement provides distinct challenges in promoting growth of the local economy while conserving the natural beauty of the lands within the Gorge,” Walden said. “Transportation infrastructure is an essential component to efficiently serve the interests of both local residents and visitors to the Scenic Area, and there is a strong need for regional transportation planning and improvement to major transportation elements. Clarifying the eligibility of Scenic Areas throughout the nation for transportation grant funding would help ensure these areas are eligible for meaningful funding opportunities to enhance infrastructure within these unique federally managed areas.”
The Columbia River Gorge NSA includes 292,500 acres along 85 miles of the Columbia River. Approximately 5.2 million vehicles and $110 million in goods travels across the rivers in the NSA, which includes the Hood River Bridge and the Bridge of the Gods, each year.