Rep. John Ley, R-Vancouver, raised concerns about rising costs and unanswered questions after a joint Washington-Oregon committee overseeing the Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement (IBR) program met Monday, Sept. 8. The meeting was the first in nearly a year and included an update from program administrator Greg Johnson.
The IBR is currently the region’s most expensive public works project, with an estimated cost of $7.5 billion. Legislators were told nearly two years ago that project costs would rise, but no updated figure was provided at Monday’s meeting. Citizen comments during the meeting suggested the project could reach $8 to $10 billion, a news release from Washington State House Republicans stated.
Johnson presented two bridge design options at the meeting: a single-deck span with 116 feet of clearance for marine traffic, or a movable span to meet the U.S. Coast Guard’s request for 178 feet of clearance.
"There were lots of questions and very few complete answers given,” Ley stated in the news release. “The Record of Decision from the federal government might be coming in the summer of 2026, which would allow for construction to begin.”
Ley also criticized TriMet’s projected transit costs, mitigation for impacted upriver businesses and the lack of discussion about reducing project expenses. He noted that legislators did not receive an answer when asking how much bridge tolls would be if $2.5 billion were borrowed for the project.
A project cost update may be provided during the committee’s next meeting, scheduled for December.
