[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROBB (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 483. A bill to fully fund the construction of the Woodrow Wilson 
Memorial Bridge; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.


          THE WOODROW WILSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE FULL FUNDING ACT

 Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I introduce legislation that responds 
to an urgent situation facing the Capital region--the crumbling Woodrow 
Wilson Bridge. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by my 
distinguished colleague from the other side of the Potomac, Senator 
Mikulski. The bridge is already a major bottleneck for travelers on 
Interstate 95, and in 7 years the current bridge will probably need to 
be closed as unsafe for travel.
  It is with this knowledge that Congress created the Woodrow Wilson 
Memorial Bridge Authority in 1995 to hasten the selection, design, and 
replacement of the old bridge. The replacement bridge has now been 
selected, and construction will begin in late 1998 or 1999.
  Last Thursday, the Washington Post joined the chorus calling for 
action to fund the bridge, and I ask unanimous consent that a copy of 
the Post editorial, ``Fixing a Dangerous Bridge,'' be included in the 
Record. The Post points out that the Clinton administration's $400 
million funding proposal is wholly inadequate, that it wouldn't buy 
three lanes at yesteryear prices. I wholeheartedly agree.
  So today my distinguished colleague, Senator Mikulski and I are 
introducing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Full Funding Act to ensure the 
bridge is completed quickly and funded without tolls. Our legislation 
authorizes full Federal funding for building the new bridge.
  This proposal is forward-looking. Today, area roads are already 
terribly congested. Only Los Angeles has more traffic. And over the 
next few decades, traffic congestion is expected to increase by 70 
percent. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is a bottleneck today because it is 
old and narrow. Ten years from now we'll still have a bottleneck if, 
because of inadequate Federal funding, we're forced to put toll booths 
on the bridge. We need full funding now to keep tomorrow's traffic 
moving.
  Full funding for the bridge is also important for the environment--
this metropolitan area has been classified by the EPA as a 
nonattainment area because of its poor air quality. Traffic congestion 
contributes significantly to this pollution. For that reason, I've 
supported mass transit initiatives like commuter rail service and the 
Metro system, higher fuel economy standards, alternative-fuel vehicles, 
and transportation alternatives such as telecommuting. These 
initiatives, while important, are only part of the solution. We also 
need to keep traffic moving to reduce the amount of time vehicles stand 
idling and adding to the smog problem in this region. Full funding for 
the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement will not solve the congestion 
problems in northern Virginia, but it will help.
  Finally, my proposal is also reasonable. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is 
part of the interstate highway system. Comparable interstate projects, 
including the nearby Baltimore's Fort McHenry Tunnel have received 90 
percent Federal funding, despite the fact the projects are owned by the 
individual States. The bridge, on the other hand, is wholly owned by 
the Federal Government. Moreover, as a recent opinion piece in Car & 
Travel put it, the bridge is ``a major gateway to our Nation's 
Capital.'' It's time for the Federal Government to pay its share.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 483

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Woodrow Wilson Memorial 
     Bridge Full Funding Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) traffic congestion imposes serious economic burdens on 
     the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, costing each 
     commuter an estimated $1,000 per year;
       (2) the volume of traffic in the metropolitan Washington, 
     D.C., area is expected to increase by more than 70 percent 
     between 1990 and 2020;
       (3) the deterioration of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge 
     and the growing population of the metropolitan Washington, 
     D.C., area contribute significantly to traffic congestion;
       (4) the Bridge serves as a vital link in the Interstate 
     System and in the Northeast corridor;
       (5) identifying alternative methods for maintaining this 
     vital link of the Interstate System is critical to addressing 
     the traffic congestion of the area;
       (6) the Bridge is--
       (A) the only drawbridge in the metropolitan Washington, 
     D.C., area on the Interstate System;
       (B) the only segment of the Capital Beltway with only 6 
     lanes; and
       (C) the only segment of the Capital Beltway with a 
     remaining expected life of less than 10 years;
       (7) the Bridge is the only part of the Interstate System 
     owned by the Federal Government;
       (8)(A) the Bridge was constructed by the Federal 
     Government;
       (B) prior to the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal 
     Government has contributed 100 percent of the cost of 
     building and rehabilitating the Bridge; and
       (C) the Federal Government has a continuing responsibility 
     to fund future costs associated with the upgrading of the 
     Interstate Route 95 crossing, including the rehabilitation 
     and reconstruction of the Bridge; and
       (9) the Federal Government should provide full funding for 
     construction of the replacement Bridge.

     SEC. 3. FULL FUNDING OF BRIDGE.

       (a) Interchanges.--Section 404(5)(F) of the Woodrow Wilson 
     Memorial Bridge Authority Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-59; 109 
     Stat. 629) is amended by inserting ``interchange,'' after 
     ``roadway,''.
       (b) Funding.--Section 104(i) of title 23, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``From'' and all that 
     follows through ``final engineering'' and inserting ``The 
     Secretary shall obligate sums made available under paragraph 
     (3) for final engineering and construction''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund 
     (other than the Mass Transit Account) for fiscal years 1998 
     through 2004 such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
     subsection.''.
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