Leadership change and sharp drops in transit projections raise new questions about the future of the I-5 Bridge project
The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program is facing renewed scrutiny after Administrator Greg Johnson announced he will step down at the end of the year and the project team slashed its transit ridership projections by 84 percent. The updated figures, along with major cuts to operations and maintenance estimates, have fueled public frustration and legislative concern over the accuracy of the project’s earlier claims. Critics argue that years of planning and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have failed to produce credible answers about ridership demand or congestion relief. With confidence in the project waning, this week’s poll asks: what should happen next for the I-5 Bridge replacement effort?
More info:
Opinion: The IBR guts transit ridership projections by 84 percent and O&M costs by over half
John Ley writes that the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program has slashed its projected transit ridership by 84 percent, raising questions about accuracy, leadership, an...
Read more
Also read:
- Opinion: Greg Johnson’s $2 million contract delivered a huge mess
Johnson’s $1.9M pay coincided with IBR costs tripling and construction timeline doubling to 20 years. - Cracking down on rough roads along I-5 in Vancouver
Crews are rebuilding 2.2 miles of southbound I-5 using a crack, seat and overlay method through summer 2026. - Opinion: IBR Environmental Review confirms impacts to Hayden Island while leaving key safeguards undefined
59 residential displacements and up to 15 years of construction face Hayden Island under the IBR’s Final SEIS. - Vancouver prepares for 2026 pavement season
Vancouver’s $14 million pavement program will pave or preserve over 100 lane miles of street this summer. - Letter: Interstate Bridge Replacement lies and nonsense
Ortblad’s comment asked whether IBR studied routing 28,000 daily trucks to rail and I-205 by 2040.
wpDiscuz
