Cost of New I-5 Bridge Linking Oregon and Washington Doubles to $14.4B

Project planners estimate the tab for replacing the northbound and southbound spans of the bridge, connecting the new bridges to the highway, and extending light rail service to Vancouver will cost $7.65 billion.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 2:05am

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The price tag to construct a new interstate bridge linking Washington and Oregon has doubled to $14.4 billion, officials from the two states said Tuesday. The total cost estimate for both the bridge and full five-mile corridor is $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, with a most likely cost of $14.4 billion. Project planners estimate the tab for replacing the northbound and southbound spans of the bridge, connecting the new bridges to the highway, and extending light rail service to Vancouver will cost $7.65 billion.

Why it matters

The doubling of the cost estimate is not surprising, as project planners have been recalculating the estimate for months, examining more than 100 risk factors, including inflation and tariffs. The new cost estimate will force each state to consider a larger contribution, and tolls, which are envisioned to range from $1.55 to $4.70 per trip based on time of day, could start out higher.

The details

The total cost estimate for both the bridge and full five-mile corridor is $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, with a most likely cost of $14.4 billion. Project planners estimate the tab for replacing the northbound and southbound spans of the bridge, connecting the new bridges to the highway, and extending light rail service to Vancouver will cost $7.65 billion.

  • The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration are expected to publish the final supplemental environmental impact statement for the project sometime this year.
  • If all the required boxes are checked and approvals obtained in 2026, planners anticipate cars could begin driving across a new bridge in 2032 or 2033.
  • Tolls, which will be imposed in both directions on the existing bridge starting in 2027 and managed by Washington, are relied on for a minimum of $1.2 billion.

The players

Bob Ferguson

The governor of Washington.

Tina Kotek

The governor of Oregon.

Marko Liias

A Washington state senator and chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Joe Cortright

A Portland economist and project critic.

Interstate Bridge Replacement Program

The program responsible for the project.

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What they’re saying

“The bridge must, and will be replaced. Delaying a major project has never made costs go down.”

— Bob Ferguson, Governor of Washington

“By focusing available funding on a core set of projects, we can deliver what Oregonians have been waiting on for decades. We need a new bridge and it's time to start building it.”

— Tina Kotek, Governor of Oregon

“While this new estimate is a heavy lift, it doesn't change our mission. We're going to prioritize every dollar and make the hard choices necessary to keep this bridge replacement moving forward. It's about being smart with what we have so we can deliver what the public needs.”

— Marko Liias, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee

What’s next

The program administrators must now draw up a plan showing how the multi-year undertaking will be financed. That is due to the federal government by the end of September and is needed to unlock a $1.5 billion capital investment grant secured in 2024.

The takeaway

The doubling of the cost estimate for the new I-5 bridge linking Oregon and Washington highlights the challenges of major infrastructure projects, as planners must navigate rising costs, inflation, and other risk factors. The states will need to find creative financing solutions to deliver this critical transportation link for the region.