The cost of the project to replace the Interstate Bridge between Washington and Oregon is going up again.

According to new official estimates released Tuesday morning, the price will increase approximately 140% from a 2022 estimate of $6 billion to a new target of $14.4 billion.

While dramatic, the new cost of the decadeslong megaproject is not surprising. A combination of project delays, rising materials and labor costs, and tariffs led to predictions and warnings from project administrators that the price would increase significantly. Other large infrastructure projects around the U.S. have faced similar price jumps in recent years.

What to know about the Interstate Bridge's rising price tag

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued statements in conjunction with the new cost estimate, pledging to support the project.

Ferguson was holding a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday to discuss the project.

Construction on the overall project including the bridge and corresponding interchange development in both Oregon and Washington could last up to 15 years, according to officials. The new cost estimate actually ranges from $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion. The previous estimate ranged from $5 billion to $7.5 billion.

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, or IBR for short, grew out of the previous proposal known as the Columbia River Crossing, which fell apart in 2013.

The biggest concern about the current 109-year-old structure is that it would not be able to withstand a major earthquake. The bridge’s narrow size creates a bottleneck on Interstate 5, delaying traffic and sometimes stopping it altogether when the bridge lift is raised to allow ships to pass below on the Columbia River. It also lacks dedicated lanes for mass transit and provides limited space for bicycles and pedestrians.

In recent years, the IBR has blown passed deadlines, even as officials have notched sizable grants from state and federal partners. So far both Washington and Oregon have pledged $1 billion each for the project.

In the past, IBR staff have pointed out that other bridge projects across the country have faced similar cost increases in the past decade. In one nearby example, the estimated cost of the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge increased 119% between 2022 and 2024.

Still, the price of the IBR is significant, coming in just behind the cost of replacing Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was struck by a container ship in 2024, killing six workers.

This story will be updated.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/17/interstate-bridge-oregon-washington-cost-estimate/