The Interstate 5 bridge, as seen from Vancouver, Wash., on June 29, 2024.
Anna Lueck / OPB
The effort to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge between Oregon and Washington is getting another massive windfall from the federal government.
The Federal Highway Administration expects to give nearly $1.5 billion to the megaproject, congressional delegates from Washington state announced Friday.
The grant is the project’s biggest yet, though its costs are in a state of flux. Planners said earlier this year that a new, yet-to-be released estimate will likely show it has gotten more expensive than the $6 billion price tag from December 2022.
Related: The cost to replace Interstate 5 bridge connecting Washington and Oregon is rising again
The project is a joint effort by Oregon and Washington, largely led by their transportation departments. It aims to replace the current, century-old bridge that carries Interstate 5 and spans the Columbia River. Planners say that, with enough funding, they can break ground by 2026.
To date, planners have secured a little more than $4 billion. The legislatures of both states have each committed $1 billion in recent years; and, late last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation kicked in $600 million.
“This is a monumental win for Southwest Washington,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement. “The road to replacing this bridge has not been easy, but failing to replace this bridge has never been an option to me.”
Several leaders from the northwest also cheered the announcement, such as Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents Southwest Washington.
“The project can now start hiring the construction companies and workers that will boost the local economy and built this vital interstate artery and make a decades-long dream a reality,” Cantwell said.
Gluesenkamp Perez, who faces reelection this fall in a likely tough rematch against Republican Joe Kent, described it as a collective effort by the state’s delegates.
“We’re now one major step closer to getting the I-5 Bridge replaced and powering good, family-wage trades jobs in Southwest Washington,” she said.
Gluesenkamp Perez also noted that she’s built a relationship with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom she brought to the district in February to view the bridge and meet students of a local career and technical education school.
Along with the bridge, planners also aim to replace several freeway interchanges on either side of the river, as well. Recently released images show three potential bridge styles in mind: a single-level bridge, a double-decker bridge, and a bridge with a moveable span to allow tall ships to pass underneath, along the river.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
