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Toll rates for the Interstate Bridge replacement are getting closer to taking shape.

The Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation Commission on Tuesday approved the further study of toll scenario recommendations for the new bridge.

The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project team is preparing to replace the Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River with a seismically resilient, multimodal structure. The project is currently in the federal environmental review phase.

Tolling is authorized for the new bridge in both Washington and Oregon, said Carl See, deputy director of the Washington State Transportation Commission. The Washington State Legislature authorized tolling for the project in 2023. The Oregon Legislature in 2013 passed a bill that authorized tolling for the previous Columbia River Crossing project and included language that applies to tolling for the current project.

Tolls are expected to generate at least $1.25 billion for the project, which is projected to cost around $6 billion. An updated cost estimate will be released next summer.

In January, Oregon and Washington’s transportation commissions established a bistate tolling subcommittee, which includes two members from each commission. The subcommittee recommends toll rates and policies to the two commissions for rate-setting and periodic review.

Since February, the subcommittee has reviewed information on IBR toll traffic and revenue analysis work, an overview of low-income toll program development in Oregon, Washington’s standardized toll policies and fees, and began discussions about scenarios to study in the Level 3 Toll Traffic and Revenue Study.

In March and April, the subcommittee reviewed level 2 toll scenario analysis results. In July, the subcommittee advanced level 3 toll scenario recommendations for approval by the state commissions.

Four toll scenarios are being considered. Brent Baker, financial structures lead of the IBR program, said all four scenarios include some form of toll escalation and a low-income toll program. The level 3 analysis is also looking at a potential toll exemption or discount for tribal members.

The recommended scenarios include toll rates ranging from $1.55 to $4.70 per trip, additional costs for trucks, and a low-income toll discount of 50 percent for registered individuals at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The low-income discount would apply when the new bridge opens for both scenarios 1 and 2. For scenarios 3 and 4, the low-income toll program would begin as soon as practical, as toll rates would start higher than scenarios 1 and 2. The 2.15 percent annual toll escalation would begin a full year after tolling starts in spring 2026 and would continue through project completion in 2033.

The subcommittee will now review level 3 policy topics and analysis and will report back to the commissions in spring 2025. The commissions will adopt toll rates/policies in the summer.