Legislature denies $125 million funding request to expand Camas Slough Bridge on Highway 14

Washington legislators agreed last month to spend $1.5 billion over the next six years to help preserve the state’s roads and bridges but denied a $125 million request to widen the narrow, two-lane West Camas Slough Bridge that connects the cities of Camas and Washougal on state Highway 14.

The 62-year-old bridge is known for fatal crashes, safety issues and frequent potholes.

“The bridge is outdated and narrow and a major congestion point,” a group of east Clark County citizens and business owners said in a letter the Downtown Camas Association sent to state transportation officials in December.

The group advocated for replacing the bridge with a wider, seismically resilient structure.

“A new bridge will improve safety, commerce, tourism and our community’s quality of life,” the letter states.

The cities of Camas and Washougal, along with the Port of Camas-Washougal, sent a joint request to the Legislature for the $125 million project to add a two-lane bridge to the westbound portion of the West Camas Slough Bridge.

Washougal Mayor David Stuebe also serves as a Republican state representative for the 17th District and sits on the House Transportation Committee. Stuebe said Monday fixing the West Camas Slough Bridge remains one of his top transportation concerns.

“It’s still a huge priority, but we weren’t able to get funding this session,” Stuebe said.

Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a March 12 news release that the state must address its aging road and bridge infrastructure.

“In my budget, I proposed $1.5 billion for maintenance and preservation of our roads and bridges over the next six years, without raising taxes. I appreciate the Legislature adopting that historic level of funding,” Ferguson said. “We have 212 bridges in poor condition — meaning they have serious deficiencies such as deterioration, cracking or even damage to the primary structure. Our state has been underfunding preservation and maintenance work for decades.”

According to the state’s Democratic senators, a $16.6 billion bipartisan 2025-27 supplemental transportation budget passed March 12 has earmarked $1.3 billion for road and bridge preservation, $200 million for maintenance work, $28 million for ferry preservation projects and $100 million for safety-related street preservation projects.

A report by the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, recently listed the state of Washington the third worst in the nation when it comes to the condition of its roads and bridges.

“It’s embarrassing,” Stuebe said. “We have got to make this a priority and get up to speed.”

Stuebe said he will make improving the Highway 14 bridge a top priority during the Legislature’s next full session. Legislators concluded a 60-day session on March 12.

Not only does the West Camas Slough Bridge connect communities east of Camas to the greater Vancouver metro area, but it also acts as a key evacuation route for people on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the Gorge during wildfires and other natural disasters, Stuebe said.

Stuebe said state transportation leaders have traveled to Clark County to learn more about the West Camas Slough Bridge.

“They all know it’s a priority,” he said. “There’s just no money for it.”

Repaving project

In the short term, the Washington State Department of Transportation has set aside $1.3 million to repave the bridge this summer. The state in September installed “rough road” signs on either side of the West Camas Slough Bridge and lowered the speed limit on the bridge from 60 mph to 50 mph, with a 40 mph advisory.

Built in 1964 and paved in 2013, the bridge now supports around 30,000 vehicles a day, including commercial trucks, commuters and tourists heading into the Gorge.

Work crews will install a new waterproofing layer, remove failing asphalt, lay new asphalt and replace four expansion joints on the bridge.

The repaving project will begin in July and should be completed by the end of September.

The state said travelers can expect single-lane closure on the bridge during the weekday nights, Monday through Friday, as well as one or two weekend closures in each direction with traffic detours through the city of Camas.

Stuebe said he’s grateful the repaving work is getting done but called it a temporary bandage for a long-term problem.

“We need a new bridge,” Stuebe said. “And if we can’t depend on the state, we need to come together in Camas and Washougal and get it rolling.”