The initiative to replace the historic Interstate 5 Bridge will release the results of a major program study later this year, marking a significant milestone following several delays.
A replacement for the bridge connecting downtown Vancouver to Portland has been in the works since 2019. Washington Governor Jay Inslee and then-Oregon Governor Kate Brown initiated the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBR) that year to address the bridge’s age.
IBR staff are working on its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), a federally mandated study, which will be released later this year. This document, which will not be a final version, will evaluate the bridge’s design and assess the environmental, traffic and safety improvements compared to a no-build option. Program administrator Greg Johnson anticipates that the new bridge will effectively address the safety, environmental and traffic issues associated with the current bridge.
“It will provide a new reliable bridge that will allow traffic to flow better through this corridor and thus have a lessened impact on the environment as far as greenhouse gasses are being produced in the corridor,” Johnson said.
The northbound span of the I-5 bridge is more than a century old, and the southbound span is over 65 years old. A critical issue for Johnson is the bridge’s age and its susceptibility to seismic activity. Studies from the State of Oregon highlight the risk of a potential 9.0 magnitude earthquake due to the region’s location near the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a massive 700-mile fault line.
“Both [bridges] are safe to drive on, but we don’t know that they would withstand a major earthquake,” Johnson said. “...We don’t know if this bridge would survive, so that’s the most pressing reason.”
Improving traffic flow is another key objective of the IBR project. Last year, the American Transportation Research Institute ranked the bridge as the worst truck bottleneck in both Washington and Oregon and the fifth-worst on the West Coast. The replacement bridge will maintain three lanes but will include auxiliary lanes to facilitate smoother merging. Additionally, lane widths will be increased from 10.5 to 12 feet. Safety shoulders will also be added to prevent lane closures caused by vehicles breaking down.
Current studies indicate the bridge experiences 7.5 to 10.5 hours of traffic daily. Johnson noted that these upgrades are expected to enhance the transportation of approximately $32 million in goods that cross the bridge daily.
“Freight is an important aspect,” Johnson said. “It is tremendously inefficient and unpredictable [bridge] for freight carriers.”
The new bridge will also include enhancements to its bike and pedestrian paths. Widening the shared-use path to meet modern standards is a key goal of the IBR project. Johnson explained that the current 4-foot paths on both sides of the bridge create difficulties for walkers and bikers trying to cross.
“I’ve ridden my bike across it once, [and] it’s tremendously uncomfortable,” Johnson said. “...Improving and connecting the rails on each side to get across the river at this location is a key need of this project.”
The proposed bridge replacement has faced criticism from some local politicians due to its inclusion of a light rail extension from the Expo Center in Portland to Evergreen Boulevard in Vancouver. Brad Benton, a Republican candidate for the 18th District state senate, has opposed the plan due to its inclusion of light rail public transportation. He has criticized it on his campaign website, calling it “a one-way superhighway for Portland’s out-of-control homeless problem.” Johnson argues the light rail will enhance regional public transit and economic vitality. He also noted that extending the light rail as a separate project would be prohibitively expensive.
“They’ve dubbed it the ‘crime train,’ I can take you across the country where those same narratives were put out, that ‘boy this is going to bring problems,’ and it didn’t,” Johnson said. “All it brings is more investment, more effective ways for people who don’t have access to vehicles.”
With $1.499 billion secured last June, the project has now amassed $4.3 billion in funding. The estimated cost of the bridge is between $5 billion and $7.5 billion. After accounting for federal and state funding, Johnson estimates that $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion will need to be recovered through toll collection. A two-person subcommittee representing both Oregon and Washington will set the toll rates and duration.
Republican candidates, including Benton, have long opposed tolling, particularly for southwest Washington residents commuting to Oregon for work. In a previous interview with The Reflector, 18th District state representative candidate John Zingale, a Democrat, highlighted the job opportunities associated with the bridge replacement project. According to a study by IBR conducted last year, the completed bridge is projected to generate $11.6 billion in economic activity in the region over the first 10 years. Zingale has also proposed exploring measures to mitigate the impact on Washington residents most affected by the tolls.
Public comments can be submitted to IBR within 60 days of the SEIS draft’s release, and two public hearings will be scheduled in Vancouver and Portland, respectively. The document will be released in late 2024, and a final version will be developed in fall 2025 following public comment. Johnson anticipates construction to begin in 2027. Readers can learn more about the program and leave public comments regarding the draft at interstatebridge.org.
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