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

The massive infrastructure project will see delays as officials focus on building the new span across the Columbia River.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:40pm

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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 announced on Tuesday. This means elements of the project will be delayed as all the focus shifts to building the new span on Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.

Why it matters

The I-5 bridge is a critical piece of infrastructure connecting the two states, and the rising costs will require officials to make tough choices about funding priorities and project timelines. The inclusion of light rail service is also a key part of the overall plan that must be balanced against the escalating price tag.

The details

The total cost estimate for both the bridge and full five-mile corridor is now $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. Officials say they will prioritize every dollar and make the hard choices necessary to keep the bridge replacement moving forward.

  • 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 approvals are 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, are set to start in 2027.

The players

Bob Ferguson

The governor of Washington state.

Tina Kotek

The governor of Oregon.

Marko Liias

A Democratic state senator from Edmonds, Washington, and chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Joe Cortright

A Portland economist and project critic.

Interstate Bridge Replacement Program

The program overseeing the bridge replacement 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, 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 officials must now find ways to fund the $14.4 billion price tag while balancing priorities like light rail and managing tolls. This project will require tough decisions and creative financing to deliver the new bridge that the public has been waiting for.