I-5 Bridge Light Rail Plans Hit a Wall — Surging Costs Are Forcing a Scaled-Back Vision for Vancouver

A massive cost increase to construct a new bridge linking Washington and Oregon is forcing state leaders and program managers to downsize expectations for the megaproject — and some say, downsize the vision for a marquee component: light rail. Rising costs have led state leaders in Washington and Oregon to pursue the building of a new bridge on I-5 across the Columbia River in phases, making for an unclear timeline for extending light rail into Vancouver and frustrating backers of that component — with city officials in Vancouver incensed that plans for bringing light rail service into town near the local library are getting put off indefinitely. The tolling picture is also coming into sharper focus — members of the Washington and Oregon transportation commissions will hold a joint virtual meeting on June 5 to review the results of traffic and revenue analysis that will inform future toll rate and policy setting for the bridge. For NW contractors tracking the $14.4 billion project, the phased approach means the construction pipeline remains very much alive — but the timeline and scope of individual phases will continue to shift as funding and political realities evolve. UpCodes + 2

Source URL: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/01/i-5-bridge-transit-light-rail-surging-costs-undercut-plan/