I-5 Bridge replacement construction due to start in 2025

Posted June 10, 2022

By Nellie Shevtsov

Staff Reporter

The Columbia River Interstate I-5 Bridge replacement is estimated to begin construction in 2025, with the aim of increasing public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and satisfying the intensity of earthquakes, floods, and fires.

The I-5 bridge plays a crucial role between Oregon and Washington. It supports local jobs and families, and is a trade route for regional, national and international economies. Its replacement is estimated to take six to seven years. The I-5 program plans to replace the current 100-year-old bridge with a modern, seismically sound structure that will reduce traffic jams and increase the capacity for public transit and cycling.

When the northbound section of the Interstate Bridge opened in 1917, it was the first automobile bridge to cross the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. The bridge was tolled until 1929, and it met the area's traffic needs into the 1940s. It was built to handle 36,250 vehicles a day, and for its first few decades, traffic was considerably lighter than that. However, by 1950 daily crossings were beginning to approach capacity, and by 1952 it was exceeding capacity on some days. And there was another problem. Vessel traffic on the Columbia River had dramatically increased since 1917, requiring the bridge's lift span to be raised more often, which caused delays both on the bridge and on the river. Ideally, the new bridge would include auxiliary lanes to allow easier entrance to and exit from the freeway, improving the flow of traffic. The bridge also is slated to have variable rate tolling, but that cost has yet to be decided. As the current bridge relies on old underwater wood pilings, making it prone to collapse or suffer heavy damage in an earthquake, it no longer satisfies the needs of modern commerce and travel.

“We do need a new bridge, and we need a bridge that serves the next hundred years of our region’s and our state’s goals,” said Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez, adding support towards the project because he thinks that bridge is possible.