New cost estimates and withheld information have raised fresh questions about transparency inside the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
A recent report by Oregon Journalism Project reporter Nigel Jaquiss details internal documents showing IBR consultants completed updated cost estimates months before legislators were told no new figures were available. Those estimates put the I-5 Bridge replacement project as high as $13.6 billion, far above earlier public numbers. In response, some lawmakers say they were misled, while IBR officials maintain the figures were only draft estimates. This poll asks whether the public believes IBR staff were truthful with lawmakers about the project’s true cost.
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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.
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Also read:
- Letter: I-5 Bridge – Save $billions, reduce congestion and improve safety
Camas resident Douglas Tweet argues eliminating light rail could save $2.5 billion and reduce bridge width by 31 feet. - Vancouver amends municipal code, banning pedestrians from staying on traffic islands, medians
Vancouver’s new ordinance targets people who remain on medians, not those crossing legally at crosswalks. - Washington gas prices stay high despite Iran deal as automatic tax hike looms
Washington’s gas tax rises 2% on July 1 under a new inflation-tied annual indexing mechanism. - Letter: The IBR’s concrete obscenity
Bob Ortblad argues $17.7 billion buys one extra lane for five miles — and 30 years of debt for future generations. - Opinion: Legislators demand two auxiliary lanes and challenge light rail plans for I-5 Bridge Replacement
Legislators from both states pressed IBR staff on auxiliary lanes, tolling diversion, and a $7.65 billion cost estimate with no clear path to full funding.
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