Advocates for a new Interstate Bridge between Oregon and Washington won a victory Friday, with a ruling from the U.S. Coast Guard that will allow smoother I-5 traffic and reduce the ballooning cost of the bridge replacement by as much as $1 billion.

In its ruling, the Coast Guard said ships will need 116 feet of clearance under the future bridge. A bridge with that clearance — as opposed to the 178-foot clearance the Guard also considered — won’t require a drawbridge-style lift that would stop interstate traffic, and it will cost significantly less to build.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, a Washington state Democrat, applauded the decision as a major step forward and said in a statement that she hopes to see construction start later this year.

Transportation advocates have been trying to secure funding and political support to replace the current I-5 drawbridge for more than two decades. That bridge lacks seismic upgrades. It also hosts the only traffic light on an interstate highway that runs from Mexico to Canada, and its steep slope and narrow lanes regularly create traffic bottlenecks even when its lift is down.

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle has taken federal officials and state lawmakers on tours for years to highlight the challenges the current bridge presents and to advocate for funds to replace it.

She issued a succinct response to the news on Facebook: “We Got It!!!!”

This story will be updated.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/16/i-5-interstate-bridge-washington-oregon/