U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and seven Southwest Washington state lawmakers have written to Gov. Jay Inslee asking him to “keep mass transit alternatives to light rail on the table” as part of negotiations to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge across the Columbia River.

The letter was prompted by news last week that Inslee included $17.5 million in his proposed budget for a project office to replace the I-5 Bridge. The budget item included language that light rail would be part of the project.

He also made remarks to The Columbian that including the means of transit on the bridge would signal to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who has insisted on light rail on a replacement crossing, that Washington would be a partner on the project. Inslee also said that the budget item would convey to the federal government that an actual project is in the works.

Washington has been seeking to restart talks with Oregon to replace the century-old I-5 Bridge since the collapse of the Columbia River Crossing five years ago. The letter states that while the lawmakers were encouraged that the governor’s budget contained funding for a bridge replacement, they were “dismayed to find that the proposal also contains a statement that any new bridge will include light rail, with no consideration of alternative transit options.”

“We all agree on the pressing need to address the congestion and safety issues at the current I-5 Bridge, and it’s imperative that we all work together on a long-term solution that both sides of the river can support,” reads the letter that was also signed by Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver; Sen. Ann Rivers, R- La Center; John Braun, R-Centralia; Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver; Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Felida; Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis; Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama.