NEIGHBORS FOR A BETTER CROSSING IS AN OREGON NON-PROFIT
Expert warns Interstate 5 bridge toll could reach $20
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A civil engineering and business expert is warning drivers could be paying $20 during peak travel times to cross the Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver.
The I-5 bridge, a critical economic artery over the Columbia River for Portland and Vancouver, carries over 50 million vehicles annually. However, its age and vulnerability to major earthquakes have prompted discussions about the bridge’s replacement.
Bob Ortblad, a retired civil engineer and University of Washington master’s graduate, cites “escalating project expenses and funding shortfalls.”
Currently, the bridge’s replacement is estimated to cost between $5 billion and $7.5 billion, according to the latest financial plan. The Washington State Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Transportation have secured just over $4 billion, with Washington state legislators pushing to secure an additional $2.5 billion.
Ortblad predicts that tariffs on steel, a lack of federal funding, and inflation could increase the estimated replacement cost by 25%.
“The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program’s financial projections are overly optimistic and fail to account for a looming $1 billion shortfall,” said Ortblad. “With costs likely to hit $9.4 billion by 2025 and limited state and federal funding, tolls could soar to an unsustainable $20 per crossing, placing a heavy burden on commuters.”
Ortblad, who believes the remaining funds will have to come from tolls, shared his findings through a press release from Neighbors for a Better Crossing Inc., a coalition advocating for an “immersed tube tunnel” instead of the current bridge replacement plan. The release refers to the Interstate Bridge Replacement program’s 2023 Financial Plan and Analysis.
“The IBR’s 2023 Financial Plan estimates $6.5 billion in available funds against a projected $7.5 billion in costs, leaving a $1 billion deficit,” the release said.
Ortblad notes that a hoped-for $1 billion Federal Transit Administration grant is unlikely due to low ridership projections, impractical station designs, and freeway-adjacent park-and-ride facilities that encourage urban sprawl.
The coalition referred to Washington Legislature’s proposed $2.5 billionin bonds to bridge the gap.
The House Bill 1958 report says, “This bill leverages the tolls that were authorized in 2023, and an investment-grade traffic and revenue analysis is currently underway for the IBR. The current finance plan that’s been issued and published by the project team calls for toll revenue of $1.2 billion, and previous analysis demonstrated the ability for the facility to generate $1.6 billion in total revenue.”
An IBR program Toll Traffic and Revenue study published in January 2024 states that base toll scenarios under review could have one-way rates ranging from $1.50 to $3.55 depending on the time of day, with high prices during peak travel times across the bridges.
According to the Washington State Transportation Commission’s 2025 Annual Tolling Report, “tolling is anticipated to begin on the current I-5 Bridges in Spring 2026 following the start of construction.” Click here to read the full report.