[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IMPROVING MERRILL AND RING CREEK BRIDGE

  (Mr. LARSEN of Washington asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, people have been traveling 
across the Merrill and Ring Creek Bridge in Everett, Washington, since 
Herbert Hoover was President of the United States.
  Every day, residents drive, walk, pedal, and roll across the bridge 
to get to and from work and school in Everett and to catch a ferry in 
Mukilteo. Commuters on Everett Transit's route 18 bus rely on the 
bridge to access Sounder commuter rail and Amtrak service at Everett 
Station.
  However, a recent assessment revealed the bridge is not only 
structurally deficient; it is vulnerable to collapse in the event of an 
earthquake. Thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, Washington 
communities will receive more than $605 million over the next 5 years 
to invest in critical bridge repairs.
  Last week, Everett officials took me across the Merrill and Ring 
Creek Bridge and told me how this bold, long-term investment will 
create jobs, drive economic recovery, and keep people on the move.
  Mr. Speaker, you cannot have a big-league economy with little-league 
infrastructure. Thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, 
communities in my district now have the resources needed to repair 
aging bridges and build a winning game plan for the region's economic 
future.

                          ____________________