A view of the existing Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River, which connects Washington and Oregon. Lawmakers now anticipate costs to replace the bridge, which does not meet modern earthquake standards, could be around $10 billion. (Photo by Grant Stringer/States Newsroom)
The torturously slow pace and increasingly expensive price to replace the Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River have some Oregon and Washington lawmakers growing uneasy and frustrated.
After years of planning and lining up billions of dollars in state and federal funding, it continues to be an educated guess when construction will start, how much the project will cost and what the new bridge will look like when traffic finally drives over it…