John Ley, a state representative for Washington’s 18th Legislative District, said at a town hall on Saturday that the Interstate Bridge replacement project is “scrambling” and “concerned” regarding federal dollars

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The four Republicans were there to answer questions about the recent state legislative session and give their opinions on a variety of topics.

Stephanie McClintock and John Ley, representatives for Washington’s 18th Legislative District, and Ed Orcutt and Peter Abbarno, representatives for the 20th Legislative District, took turns answering questions at a town hall Saturday in Battle Ground.

When one guest asked for an update on the Interstate Bridge replacement project, three representatives all looked at one colleague and asked him to take the lead. 

This was John Ley’s moment.

Ley, a newcomer to the legislature, had noted in his introduction to the town hall audience that transportation issues for Southwest Washington citizens were his top priority when he ran for office. Ley rose to popularity in Clark County for his thorough research of the original Columbia River Crossing plans, light rail, TriMet, and all the costs that the Oregon transit system wanted Clark County residents to endure.

“They are worried. They are scrambling,” Ley told the crowd, referring to officials with the Interstate Bridge replacement project.

He noted that there was an original price tag of $3.2 billion to $4.8 billion. Then it was between $5 and $7.5 billion.

“It’s been two-and-a-half years and they haven’t given us a revised cost update,” Ley said. “That’s a problem. We should know. They should be telling the legislatures in both states an honest answer.”

Ley went on to provide his own analysis of the costs, based on what the project is asking from the legislature.

At one point in the process, he said, there was an expected sum from federal dollars, plus investments from Oregon and Washington. But another big chunk was to be borrowed — from “Wall Street” Ley said — with the money being repaid by tolls. This is where the figures get a little scary for some conservatives, Ley said.

A while back, the project was going to ask for $1.2 billion that would be paid back by tolling revenue. Then that number grew to $1.6 billion. Well, the bill that came to the transportation committee this past spring asked for $2.5 billion.

There were some gasps from the crowd at the town hall when Ley mentioned that number.

“That’s double the amount they originally talked about,” Ley said. “That’s a pretty good hint on how much they think the cost of the project is going to go up.”

That also means the cost to everyday folks who will use the new bridge would increase.

Ley noted that recently there was talk about tolls being as high at $4.70 each way during peak hours. 

“If you double the amount you’re borrowing … you’ve got to double the tolls to pay it off,” Ley surmised. “So I’m thinking, round numbers, that’s $10 each way.”

He called that “totally unaffordable,” noting that could be as much as $5,000 a year for daily commuters. Plus a huge cost for freight haulers and businesses. 

That sticker shock could lead to many drivers changing their routes.

“People respond to financial pain,” Ley said. “They will do whatever they can to avoid it.”

The Glenn Jackson Bridge on Interstate 205, already congested, Ley said, would become a “nightmare.”

On a related note, Ley said project officials are “appropriately concerned” that they might not get the huge investment from the federal government, with the Trump administration taking a serious look at where all money is spent throughout the nation.

In summary:

“The money is not in the bank,” Ley said. “Still don’t have a final bridge design. We don’t have a final price tag. The Coast Guard says it’s a bridge too low. There are a lot of moving parts. They had hoped to break ground in late 2025, early 2026. I don’t think that’s going to happen. … They don’t have approval.”

Orcutt talked about the length of bonds associated with transportation projects. He said he has heard some say 40 years. He heard that Sound Transit in the Seattle area is looking to lengthen bonds out to 70 years. Orcutt called that “absolutely absurd.”

Still, he is supportive of a replacement for the Interstate Bridge.

“We need to do it, but we need to do it with the right bridge, and we need to do it with an affordable bridge,” Orcutt said.

He was interrupted by a guest at the town hall who shouted: “We need to do it with another bridge.” That was in reference to a third bridge over the Columbia River.

Orcutt said he agreed, noting there are five bridges over the Cowlitz River in Cowlitz County serving a population of 100,000. There are 500,000 or so in Clark County, plus 2 million in the Portland area. 

“There are eight lanes going in each direction on those five bridges (in Cowlitz County). Down here, there are only seven lanes going in both directions for a much higher population,” Orcutt said. “It’s ridiculous to think you can do this with just two bridges. We do need a third bridge.”

However, he added, there is no momentum for a third bridge right now.

Another guest asked how long the current Interstate Bridge could last.

Ley took on that question.

“With proper maintenance, indefinitely,” he said.

“One of the arguments you hear about the bridge … it’s over a hundred years old. Only half of it is over a hundred years old,” Ley reminded the gathering. “The other (half) was built in 1957.” 

Plus, he said, the older half of the bridge has been retrofitted. 

If he were in charge, he would want a third bridge (or tunnel) and keep the current bridge, but change it to a local connector between Vancouver, Hayden Island, and Marine Drive. Make the current bridge two lanes each way, lower the speed limit, add safety shoulder lanes, and maintain it for decades longer.

The plan for the new bridge also includes a light rail stop at the waterfront, but it would be 90 feet above the ground at that location, Ley said. He called that a ridiculous expenditure.

If light rail is a must, then the better solution is an immersed tube tunnel, Ley argued.