First Conceptual Images Released of WA-OR I-5 Replacement Bridge

The bridge that carries I-5 across the Columbia River from WA to OR near Vancouver was built in 1917, and is sadly in need of replacement.

  First conceptual images released of three possible types

The Washington State Department of Transportation has come out with images of what a replacement bridge would look like. It's going to be replaced, it's just a matter of by what kind of structure.

WSDOT has a website, the Interstate Replacement Bridge Program, that examines all aspects of replacing this heavily traveled road. According to KIRO, the three types are

"The three bridge types shown include a double-deck configuration called a Truss, a single-level span called an Extradose and a Steel Girder vertical lift bridge."

The structures need to be at least 116 feet high to accommodate traffic on the river below.  There has been some discussion about one of the prototypes that some officials seem to think favors foot and bike traffic over expanding car and truck traffic.

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The bridge will not be cheap, between $5 and $7 billion dollars,  of which WA and OR have committed about $100 million, $601 in Federal money, leaving the rest of have to be generated from tolling.

A proposal to replace the bridge with a tunnel is not feasible, says WSDOT because it eliminates some important off-ramps close to the river. Construction could begin in 2025, or 2026 and would take 5 to 6 years to build. The entire project, including some of the shoreline additions, could take up to ten years.