Maybe Some Movement in I-5 Replacement Bridge Between WA and OR?

The Interstate 5 bridge connecting Vancouver, WA and Portland OR, is actually a tale of 2 bridges.  The southbound span was built and opened in 1958, but the northbound bridge was built and opened in 1917!  And, both spans have been under need of replacement for a long time. It's a critical connection between WA and OR, and the only connection for many miles.

   Could There Be Movement (finally!) in New I-5 Bridge?

Discussions actually began in 1992 about replacing the old spans, but nothing was accomplished.  Then, in 2004, the Columbia River Crossing Project was begun, and ran for nearly a decade before being shelved in 2014.

Then in 2019, the current Interstate Bridge Replacement Program was created, which is where we are now.  So far, an estimated $270 million has been spent on consultants, plans, drafts and plans--with no progres..

  Will there actually Be Progress?

But it appears there could be movement. The US Coast Guard recently approved what's called a fixed span bridge, one that has no moving parts, for the replacement.

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Prior attempts were planned to a drawbridge, to allow for taller vessels to pass by, but that plan is much more costly. The fixed-span height for this bridge wouldbe 116 feet from the water level, and the project would be at least 3,500 feet (the bridge). In 2024, some plans and conceptions were released, the ambitious ideas included one for a lower-level pedestrian and foot traffic area below traffic.

The actual project would involve, especially on the WA Side, at least five miles of road improvements for the highways leading up to the new span.

Now, the Governors of OR and WA have released a joint statement saying that now that the project has Coast Guard approval, it's time to begin 'real' planning and replace the two spans.

The program will start with $140 million in mitigation funds that will be distributed to four affected large industries who line the banks of the river, and construction would affect some of their operations.

The overall price tag is estimated to be anywhere from $6 to $7 billion, with possibly a $1 billion grant from Federal agencies. According to KOIN-TV, both states working on the project hope to have a contractor chosen by 2027.  They did not immediately release a projected completion date based on current data.