The Washington and Oregon departments of transportation now have the green light to find a contractor for the $14.4 billion Interstate Bridge Replacement.
The project recently completed its federal National Environmental Policy Act review, and officials will now begin identifying a contractor and securing permits to replace the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland to Vancouver over the Columbia River. The amended record of decision that marked the completion of the bridge’s environmental review came from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.
The bridge replacement program will now advance $5.7 billion in local, state and federal funding for phase 1, which includes:
- Replacing the interstate bridge with an earthquake-ready structure with a shared-use path and space for future light rail
- Connecting the replacement bridge to I-5 in Oregon and Washington
- Connecting Hayden Island and SR 14 to I-5
- Advancing transit system design in alignment with federal grant requirements
- Building toll infrastructure to begin collection in 2028
- Removing the existing interstate bridge
A contractor for the project is expected to be chosen by 2027 and work to begin in 2028.
One of the oldest river crossings on the West Coast, the 5-mile interstate bridge sees over 143,000 vehicles per day and was built 109 years ago, putting it at risk from earthquakes. The Environmental Protection Agency cites its timber bridge piles on sandy soils in its original construction as a problem.
A new estimate earlier this year calls for $7.8 billion for the base cost of the new fixed-span bridge’s construction with no complications, $4.2 billion for the risk of changes to cost and schedule, and $2.4 billion for inflation. The formal range of the estimate is $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, but the DOTs say there is a 70% chance the total cost will be $14.4 billion or lower.
Powered byNew influences on this estimate, according to the program, include inflation driving up costs — Washington DOT says construction costs have risen 58% since 2022 — and market conditions creating higher bids.
This new estimate includes the following:
- Replacement bridges over the Columbia River and replacement of the North Portland Harbor Bridge
- Three through lanes and one auxiliary lane southbound and northbound
- Extension of light rail from Portland to Vancouver with the addition of three new station locations
- Rebuilt interchanges at Marine Drive, Hayden Island, SR 14, Mill Plain Boulevard, Fourth Plain Boulevard and SR 500
- A bridge for local traffic connecting Hayden Island to Marine Drive
- Improvements for people who walk, bike and roll
The project’s completion date has been pushed from 2034 to 2045, driven by a two-year delay in the federal environmental process.
