Radio Report: Rep. John Ley warns I-5 bridge plan faces funding gap, toll risk, and soaring costs

March 18, 2026

Concerns are growing about the rising cost and funding plan for the proposed Interstate 5 Bridge replacement between Washington and Oregon. One Southwest Washington lawmaker says the project is being scaled back, but taxpayers could still be on the hook for billions more. John Sattgast reports.

SATTGAST: The estimated cost of replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge over the Columbia River has now climbed to about fourteen-and-a-half billion dollars… and the timeline continues to slip.

State planners say they will “phase” the project, focusing first on building the bridge, even though the full program remains far from funded.

Representative John Ley (LEE), a Republican from Vancouver, says that approach raises serious concerns.

LEY: “And the first phase, they said, was seven-point-six-five billion dollars. And then when they find the money, they’ll talk about phase two.”

SATTGAST: State documents show the project still faces a multi-billion-dollar funding gap, with tolling and future borrowing expected to help cover the cost. Ley warns that could leave taxpayers exposed if the financing plan falls short.

LEY: “If everything goes wrong for them, then the statewide taxpayers in both Oregon and Washington are going to have to cover those bonds… and that’s horrible.”

SATTGAST: Ley also questions whether the project reflects the priorities of Southwest Washington residents.

LEY: “The whole purpose of this project is to build a light rail platform to bring light rail into Clark County that very few people in Clark County want.”

SATTGAST: Construction could begin in 2028… but questions remain about whether the project can be fully funded without billions more in future costs.

John Sattgast, the state Capitol.