The Duportail Bridge is a bridge in Richland, Washington. As of July 2020, the bridge proper is complete, with Phase 2 of the project—providing a connection to the bridge's northeast landing—currently underway. When complete, it will span the Yakima River and the Columbia Canal north of Interstate 182, connecting Central Richland with the Queensgate-area. The Queensgate-area has experienced a large amount of growth since the late-2000s and construction of the bridge is expected to fuel continued growth on the west side of the river. The bridge will also provide the first street connection between Central Richland and South Richland. The bridge is the final segment of the Duportail/Stevens Corridor to provide connectivity between the two areas of Richland.
History
Construction of the Duportail Bridge has been Richland's top priority since at least 2007. For individuals to get between Richland's center and the Queensgate-area today, they must travel on I-182. In 2016, the bridge carrying I-182 over the Yakima River carried an average of 54,000 vehicles a day. The new bridge is expected to remove thousands of vehicles from this load. Official planning for the bridge began in 2011, but encountered several roadblocks before construction began. After the job was awarded to Apollo Construction, another bidder, N.A. Degerstrom from Spokane filed an injunction. That injunction was lifted a few days later, allowing Richland to officially award the contract in January 2018.
Funding
The City of Richland went through several avenues to secure funding to build the bridge. In 2014, it applied for a federal grant that would have paid for the entire cost. In the application, the city listed a number of benefits including decreased air pollution, less traffic deaths, and saving up to $30 million in improvements to I-182. That application was later denied, forcing the city to seek other sources for funding. Over $30 million was provided by the state government to complete the bridge, with approximately $2 million coming from federal sources. The majority of the state funding is coming from an 11.9 cent increase in the state's gas tax, with a smaller portion being allotted for improvements to the intersection at State Route 240. Another source for funding is through car tabs. Richland established a Transportation Benefit District to levee a $20 fee that will be added to the cost of a resident's annual car registration. This licensing fee was expected to raise $875,000 in the first year. Of that $20 fee, $3 will go directly to construction costs of the new bridge. This fee is expected to be removed in 2039.
Construction
Construction on the bridge officially began in March 2018 and is expected to continue until Summer of 2020. The project is split into two phases, the bridge itself and improvements to the intersection of State Route 240 and Duportail Street. The project will also add traffic lights to the intersection of Duportail and Tanglewood Drive on the east side of the river and at City View Drive on the west side of the river. A water pipeline, currently running beneath the Yakima River, will be replaced with the new line crossing the bridge. Portions of the building involving the river will be restricted to the summer months due to state and federal regulations. These regulations are in place to make it easier for fish to migrate through the channel. During construction, access to the Yakima River and trails around it will be restricted. Richland has set up detours for recreational trails, and has suggested that boaters use boat launches that are either upstream or downstream of the construction site.
Community Response
The Duportail Bridge project has been controversial in the City of Richland since it was first proposed. Many of the businesses in the Queensgate-area are in favor of the new bridge, because they expect the new accesspoint to bring more customers to the district. Even before construction, property values began to rise on the west side. The bridge will also provide better access to first responders on both sides of the Yakima River. Many residents are against bridge construction because it will increase already high traffic volumes in the Queensgate-area. The Washington State Department of Transportation has begun a project at I-182 to try to alleviate some of these issues. Immediate neighbors to the future bridge are concerned that the city will not do enough to allow them access to the street by making it hard for them to make turns leaving the neighborhood. Richland residents were also against the new car tab fee that was introduced.
