Oregon-Washington I-5 Bridge Project Under Fire as Costs Soar

The Oregon Transportation Fee rebuked officers with the Interstate Bridge Alternative (IBR) program on Jan. 22 for conserving the mission’s quickly rising preliminary price estimates out of public view. Commissioners questioned the mission’s viability amid rising issues that the $6 billion price ticket might greater than double earlier than building begins.

Nonetheless, the hassle to interchange the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Washington and Oregon throughout the Columbia River continues. A Jan. 19 ruling by the U.S. Coast Guard permitted a fixed-bridge design, and IBR plans to problem a request for proposals to contractors by the tip of 2026.

Funding stays the central problem. The newest publicly launched price evaluation for the five-mile IBR program dates to 2022 and ranged from $5 billion to $7.5 billion, with $6 billion incessantly cited. An Aug. 15, 2025, guide’s report ready for IBR estimated prices have no less than doubled to $12.2 billion and will attain $17.7 billion. The fixed-bridge estimate within the report is nearer to $13 billion.

Carley Frances, interim IBR program administrator, mentioned the estimates haven’t been totally vetted and she or he doesn’t anticipate up to date figures till March 2026. She acknowledged to the fee that “prices are positively going to go up,” reflecting nationwide building inflation.

The four-member fee overtly questioned if the mission would be capable to proceed as a result of ballooning prices of the mission.

“I simply don’t see a $12 billion to $16 billion mission being viable,” mentioned Commissioner Lee Beyer. “I’m involved concerning the numbers leaping that far this quick. If these numbers are appropriate, there’s no means we are able to do that mission. There’s simply not the cash.”

Transparency Issues

Past funding points, commissioners sharply criticized IBR management for failing to reveal the brand new estimates. Though the 2025 guide’s report circulated internally, it was not publicly mentioned or shared with the fee throughout conferences late final yr when the fee requested pointed questions concerning the funds.

Joseph Cortright, a Portland economist and critic of the mission, obtained the report by means of a public data request. The Oregon Journalism Venture later reported on the findings, alerting commissioners of the mission’s spiraling prices.

“Let’s be actually trustworthy right here,” fee Chair Julie Brown mentioned, addressing Frances and Ray Mabey, assistant IBR program administrator. “It’s a shock to us to seek out out the best way we did. You set us all in a foul state of affairs. The employees shouldn’t attempt to conceal one thing.”

Frances, who on the time of the Jan. 22 assembly had been in her place for 9 days, mentioned the doc was a part of an inner workshopping course of and emphasised that extra evaluation is required, significantly as a result of the fixed-bridge design was not permitted till this month. She declined to debate particular price figures.

Baker mentioned the knowledge introduced by means of the second half of 2025 was outdated, including that IBR continued to reference financial valuations based mostly on a $6 billion estimate with out acknowledging that inner projections confirmed prices seemingly doubling or extra.

IBR officers mentioned the Coast Guard’s approval of a hard and fast bridge with a navigational clearance of 116 toes permits this system to proceed with a closing environmental impression assertion because it strikes towards a file of determination tied to a Sept. 30 federal grant modification deadline.

IBR plans to announce up to date price estimates in March and has shifted to a progressive design-build supply mannequin. Frances mentioned the method will permit early contractor involvement somewhat than embedding threat premiums in bids. Mabey mentioned IBR might problem a request for {qualifications} forward of the formal RFP and already is aware of of no less than two groups forming, with a doable third — extra curiosity than anticipated beneath the earlier supply mannequin.

Baker mentioned that with out extra funding from the 2 state legislatures, IBR should function inside current monetary commitments. Greater than $4 billion has already been dedicated by means of federal grants and appropriations from Oregon and Washington, not together with tolling revenues projected to exceed $1 billion.

The mission has acquired a $1.5 billion Federal Freeway Administration Bridge Funding Program grant, a $600 million U.S. Division of Transportation Mega grant and a $30 million Reconnecting Communities grant awarded in 2025 to town of Vancouver and the Washington State Division of Transportation for enhancements tied to the IBR program.

Federal grant funding could be forfeited if building doesn’t start in 2026.