Every day, Interstate 5 carries an estimated 14,000 commercial vehicles through Oregon, bearing freight with a retail value of approximately $650 million. As an important portion of this vital freight corridor, the soon-to-be-rebuilt I-5 Willamette River Bridge between Eugene and Springfield makes a significant contribution to that circulation of West Coast commerce.

With a replacement price tag of $147 million for construction, it also has a significant impact on Oregon's economy. Funded by the third Oregon Transportation Investment Act and Federal SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users), the Willamette River Bridge budget represents a sizable capital injection for a state that saw unemployment rates climb upward this year.