Oregon–Washington I-5 Bridge Cost Soars to $13.6 Billion After Panel Says It Was Misled About Price Update
The cost of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River, linking Oregon to Washington, has rocketed from $6 billion to $13.6 billion, according to an exposé by Oregon Journalism Project.
The fixed-span bridge is part of the Interstate Bridge Replacement project and will provide a crucial crossing between Portland and Vancouver, serving as a major artery for trade and travel between the two northwestern states.
The 16-Member Bi-State Panel Was Deceived
Staff involved in the bridge replacement project told a bi-state panel on December 5 that they did not have an update on cost estimates for the bridge, when project consultants had revealed a detailed and updated estimate nearly four months earlier, on August 15, 2025.
The lack of information upset the 16-member panel which had last been updated with cost estimates in December 2022.
The Spiraling Costs are Bad News For the Financially Embattled ODOT
The new estimate of $13.6 billion is bad news for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), which, together with the Washington Department of Transportation and the federal government, will share the cost of the Columbia Bridge project.
Source: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program / Cost, Funding & Economic Benefits
Dailytidings.com
Federal funding on which ODOT relied to meet its transportation network maintenance and construction projects for 2026 has been frozen. An attempt by the state governor to raise the necessary funds via increases in gas pump prices and licensing fees was stymied by Republican lawmakers.
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program includes the construction of a network of access and exit ramps extending five miles along I-5 and an extension of the Metropolitan Area Express rail line from Portland to Vancouver.
In 2017, a bill passed by the Oregon legislature called for the establishment of tolls in the Portland area to help fund transportation networks. This was a move already adopted by the adjoining states of Washington and California. To date, Oregon has no toll roads.
Washington has several tolls on major freeways and express lanes, two bridges, and the SR 99 tunnel, mostly concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area.
| Facility | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|
| I-405 Express Toll Lanes | Express toll lanes | Seattle metro |
| SR 167 Express Toll Lanes | Express toll lanes | Puget Sound |
| SR 520 Bridge | Toll bridge | Seattle metro |
| Tacoma Narrows Bridge | Toll bridge | Tacoma area |
| SR 99 tunnel | Toll tunnel | Seattle |
Oregon does not have any toll roads, but does have toll bridges at Hood River-White Salmon Bridge and at the Bridge of the Gods.
Long History of Failed I-5 Bridge Efforts Between Oregon and Washington
This is not Oregon and Washington’s first failed I-5 bridge mega-project – the earlier Columbia River Crossing collapsed in 2013 after more than $175 million in planning costs when Washington lawmakers did not approve the funding bill.
All hopes for the project died after the Washington Senate failed to pass a $10 billion transportation bill, which included $450 million for the Columbia River Crossing.
Time for another signature collection to put this boondoggle or outright fraud to a vote of the people.