Interstate Bridge Replacement Program

in 2007 The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program is a project to replace the Interstate Bridge connecting Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington via Interstate 5 (I-5). The existing bridge, opened in 1917, is considered insufficient given current traffic patterns and does not meet current seismic standards. Replacement efforts began with the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project, which terminated in 2013, and were revived in 2017, with the creation of the Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee. A Locally Preferred Alternative was released in 2022¹ and presented to various local governments. Subsequently, the environmental impact statement was submitted and received approval. On August 17, 2026, the IBR program released a request for qualifications.

in 2007 The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program is a project to replace the Interstate Bridge connecting Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington via Interstate 5 (I-5). The existing bridge, opened in 1917, is considered insufficient given current traffic patterns and does not meet current seismic standards. Replacement efforts began with the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project, which terminated in 2013, and were revived in 2017, with the creation of the Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee. A Locally Preferred Alternative was released in 2022 and presented to various local governments. Subsequently, the environmental impact statement was submitted and received approval. On August 17, 2026, the IBR program released a request for qualifications. === Design process and federal approval=== Several alternative ideas were proposed, including an immersed tube tunnel, a third bridge, and a bascule bridge, which was favored by the U.S. Coast Guard. A tunnel was deemed infeasible, due to costs and the difficulty of constructing a connection to Hayden Island and Vancouver's SR-14, while moveable bridge options were deemed undesirable due to cost and delays from boat traffic. In December 2022, the project was estimated to cost $5.5 billion to $7.5 billion, with expected contributions of $1 billion each from Washington and Oregon and the rest covered by federal funding, including funds tied to the light rail component. The locally preferred alternative released in May 2022 and presented to the Oregon Legislature in April 2023 included the following design choices: Fixed crossing design, 116ft above water level Modifications to several interchanges, due to the higher height of the bridge Eight lanes, in contrast to the ten lanes the CRC had proposed Continued consideration of the ten lane version Twin northbound and southbound bridges, allowing for the construction of one at a time Replacement of a separate bridge connecting Hayden Island to mainland Portland Narrowing of the existing interchange, such that the Interstate Bridge only serves traffic entering from Washington Ongoing discussion of the placement of light rail, cyclists and pedestrians on a lower deck or on additional lanes of a single deck Three light rail stations: on Hayden Island, on the Vancouver waterfront, and at Evergreen Boulevard Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard requested an alternative design with a drawbridge to preserve the clearance for river traffic, which would be lowered by if the locally preferred alternative was built. Construction was scheduled to begin in late 2025 or early 2026. Tolls were to be implemented on the Oregon side of the existing bridge to help fund the new bridge as it is being built. In January 2026, the Coast Guard gave its approval for the replacement bridge to be an all-fixed-span bridge, without a movable section, at a lowered height of . On January 7th, public records requests revealed the draft cost estimates had increased further to $13.6 billion. On July 1, 2026 the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) jointly issued an amended Record of Decision on the IBR, which sealed Phase 1 of the project to further environmental review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

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