Oregon, Washington enter uncertain moment for I-5 bridge project as Trump takes office

Editor’s note: As President Donald Trump takes office, OPB is providing a look over the week surrounding inauguration to understand how Oregonians voted, how they’re feeling now and how the new administration could affect Northwest communities through top issues like immigration, tariffs, criminal justice and the I-5 bridge replacement.

If all goes to plan, crews will begin major construction in the Columbia River on a new Interstate Bridge in 2027, ending decades of planning and consternation over a botched plan to fix the aging bridge between Vancouver and Portland more than a decade ago.

That’s assuming the current effort isn’t derailed by an incoming Trump administration that has said it plans to cut government spending, with a critical eye toward Biden-era policies that could be necessary to paying for the bridge.

While there is wide political agreement that the roughly century-old bridge is a problematic source of congestion during rush-hour commutes, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program has critics as well as champions, and its future is not certain.

In November, the bridge project managers closed public comment on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement. Now, planners are considering those comments and evaluating bridge designs. The biggest uncertainty, however, comes down to funding for a potentially $7.5 billion project.

“The contracts haven’t been written, the checks haven’t been signed. So, until that happens, we don’t have a bridge right now. We’re working as if we will, hoping to get a record of decision Sept. 8, 2025 and put a shovel in the dirt the next day,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said, referring to early construction preparation.

But, she said, that shovel isn’t coming out of the tool shed immediately.

“Until all of those documents are signed, we don’t have a bridge.”

A foggy crystal ball

The new interstate bridge will broadly be financed in three buckets, according to McEnerny-Ogle: state funds, tolls and federal dollars. Washington and Oregon have each pledged $1 billion. Discussions about driver tolls to recoup money over the long term are currently happening with the Oregon and Washington departments of transportation. That leaves the federal government, which has so far committed around $2 billion.

“Historically, administrations have recognized and continued with the obligations made by the previous administration,” said former U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, who retired in 2023 after serving as chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “I really can’t say what’s going to happen with this administration. No one knows.”

DeFazio was involved in the earlier interstate bridge proposal, known as the Columbia River Crossing project. It fell apart in 2014 when Washington state lawmakers declined to authorize funds for its construction, in part over perennial concerns of light rail and tolling. DeFazio continued to focus on the project in Congress because of the persistent congestion and earthquake risks of what is actually two parallel bridges on I-5 that cross the Columbia.

“The original bridge is on wooden pilings. And the new bridge, only 90-some-odd years old, will not withstand any substantial earth tremor,” he said.

The question now becomes whether a second Trump administration will support additional funding, or in a worst case scenario for the bridge, pull back money that’s already been pledged. Those pledged dollars exist in the form of pending grants, DeFazio said.

“They potentially could rescind funds that were not yet fully obligated. And since there’s no design, no environmental analysis, these can’t be finally obligated,” DeFazio said.

In the bridge’s favor: support from all four senators in Washington and Oregon. DeFazio said that would make congressional action difficult, even if the House voted to pull the funding.

Cues from the Trump administration

Key to these decisions will be incoming U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former Wisconsin congressman and Fox Business co-host. During Duffy’s confirmation hearing, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, asked if he would commit to continuing funding for current projects like the Interstate Bridge.

“One of the complaints I’ve heard from the committee is oftentimes the money isn’t moving fast enough. There’s been questions about why is it taking so long?” Duffy said. “I’d love to work with you and make sure the money gets out the door to the projects that are underway.”

The Heritage Foundation’s guiding document for the second Trump administration, known as Project 2025, lays out several priorities for the Department of Transportation.

The Project 2025 chapter on transportation is critical of federal money for mass transit and what it describes as unnecessary grants provided by DOT. That could clash with current bridge proposals that include a light rail extension connecting Portland to Vancouver. And in mid-January, the city of Vancouver received a $30 million federal grant to cap a section of I-5 with green space between the city’s downtown and Fort Vancouver as part of an effort “to reconnect communities harmed by past transportation infrastructure decisions.”

On the other hand, Project 2025 also envisions a scaled down Federal Highway Administration that focuses on “maintaining and improving the highway system.” It’s also supportive of user fees to fund local infrastructure, including tolls on roads and bridges. Tolling is the third leg of the funding stool to pay for the new bridge, though efforts to raise toll funding have been met with citizen outcry in some cases, and criticism from U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washington, who is an otherwise enthusiastic supporter of the replacement.

Delays could mean a higher price tag

There’s also the potential for new tariffs from the Trump administration on a project that will require tons of steel to build. In 2018, then-President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel imported to the U.S., including from China, which produces the majority of the world’s raw steel. A 2023 analysis from the U.S. International Trade Commission isolated the effects of that tariff from other global economic factors. The trade policy translated to an average 2.4% increase on prices of domestic and imported steel in the U.S., according to the report.

More recently, Trump proposed tariffs ranging from 35-60% on Chinese goods. Those would benefit the domestic steel industry, with more U.S. customers avoiding expensive imported materials. But it would likely also mean higher costs for projects like a new interstate bridge.

Officials leading the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program declined an interview request, saying they could not speculate on “potential political matters.” In a statement, they emphasized the economic significance of the IBR for Oregon, Washington and the entire West Coast.

“As with any major infrastructure project that requires years of planning and construction, changes in elected leadership, from the federal level through local jurisdictions, is expected. The IBR Program appreciates the support we’ve received across all levels of leadership in both states and our federal partners to date,” the statement reads. “We look forward to conversations with federal, state and local elected leaders about how we can continue to work together to deliver a safer and more reliable multimodal replacement bridge and corridor.”

If an Interstate Bridge replacement is delayed by the federal government, the result will be a higher price tag, according to McEnerny-Ogle.

“When you look at the costs that are expected, when the construction actually starts, you’re delaying buying the metal, the steel, everything that goes along with it,” the mayor said. “You’re adding a million dollars a day when you delay this project.”

In the meantime, she said, Vancouver is moving forward regardless of where the federal winds blow.

“We can’t stop and just twiddle our thumbs hoping for the bridge. We have a life here that we need to work on,” she said.

To see all of OPB’s ongoing coverage of regional politics and the latest national updates, visit our Politics page.