Lawmakers left without updated cost estimates as bridge design and funding questions remain unresolved
Members of the Washington-Oregon Interstate Bridge Replacement Program legislative oversight committee met this week without receiving updated cost estimates or final design decisions for the I-5 Bridge replacement. Rep. John Ley criticized the lack of clarity, noting the project is already estimated at $7.5 billion and remains dependent on unresolved issues such as bridge clearance, transit funding, and overall scope. As costs continue to rise and both states face tighter transportation budgets, lawmakers are weighing difficult choices about the project’s future direction.
More info:
Rep. John Ley issues statement after I-5 Bridge replacement meeting yields few answers
Rep. John Ley criticized the IBR Program for failing to provide updated cost estimates or key design decisions following a recent legislative oversight committee meeting.
Read more
Also read:
- POLL: With updated estimates reaching as high as $17.7 billion, what should happen to the I-5 Bridge replacement project?
A new poll asks readers how the I-5 Bridge replacement project should proceed amid higher cost estimates and questions about transparency within the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. - Opinion: ‘The IBR team has been lying to us and thanks to a veteran Oregon journalist, we have the smoking gun’
Ken Vance argues newly obtained documents show Interstate Bridge Replacement staff withheld updated cost estimates from lawmakers and the public. - Oregon Gov. Kotek calls for repeal of transportation funding package she championed
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is urging lawmakers to repeal a transportation funding package she previously supported after a referendum effort halted key tax increases. - Letter: Has $450 million been wasted on a bridge that’s too low for the Coast Guard with a foundation too costly to build?
A Seattle engineer questions whether hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on a bridge design he argues is unnecessarily risky and costly compared to an immersed tunnel alternative. - Opinion: Transit agencies need accountability not increased state subsidy
Charles Prestrud argues that Washington transit agencies face rising costs and declining ridership due to governance structures that lack public accountability.
wpDiscuz
