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Oregon transportation commissioners on Thursday blasted leaders of the Interstate Bridge replacement program for keeping them in the dark for months as projected construction costs soared by billions of dollars.

Poor communication 鈥� and the massive cost increase itself 鈥� could jeopardize the push to build a new, seismically resilient bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Columbia River, commissioners said.

鈥淭he narrative now is so negative that you guys could put the bridge in jeopardy simply because you’re not willing to have these conversations until the numbers are perfect,鈥� Commissioner Jeff Baker said.

Thursday’s Oregon Transportation Commission meeting came only days after news broke that cost estimates for the project had more than doubled, to a range of $12.2 billion to $17.7 billion. The previous estimates, from 2022, were $5 billion to $7.5 billion.

The cost estimates were stated in an Aug. 15 document unearthed by City Observatory, a Portland think tank, through a public records request.

Oregon Department of Transportation and Interstate Bridge replacement (IBR) program officials have said the estimates were not shared publicly because they were not finalized, an explanation that seemed to exasperate commissioners who were working with years-old cost assumptions.

鈥淵ou put all of us in a bad situation by having information that you may not have given to elected officials or to committee members or to others, and tried to contain it and tried to figure out what to do,鈥� Chairwoman Julie Brown said.

Baker expressed frustration that he learned of the new cost estimates from media outlets and not IBR program officials.

鈥淎s commissioners, we’re not getting our information from you,鈥� he said.

An official cost estimate will be available in March, IBR program officials said.

鈥淚t’s incumbent upon us to get information out, which obviously has been a breach of trust with folks,鈥� said Carley Francis, the IBR program’s newly appointed interim director.

The commission had received assurances in October 2025 that a fresh cost estimate would be available in December 2025, Baker said.

鈥淭his is a moving target, and it’s been moving and moving and moving,鈥� he said.

IBR program officials blamed some of the delay on an earlier-than-expected decision by the U.S. Coast Guard to approve a 116-foot navigational clearance, making a fixed span possible. With the approval in hand, more accurate estimates can be produced, officials said.

Yet IBR program officials did not dispute the 11-figure cost estimates that drew headlines, and Francis conceded the estimates and underlying document were 鈥渞obust.鈥�

The ballooning price tag could make the project infeasible, Commission Vice Chairman Lee Beyer said.

鈥淚f those numbers are correct, we can’t build this project,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here’s no way you’re going to get the money to do it at this point.鈥�

The Interstate Bridge replacement project is broken into 29 different packages, including the bridge itself and seven interchanges on a 5-mile corridor spanning Oregon and Washington.

IBR program officials have discussed sequencing those packages, in part of logistical necessity and in part to spread costs. But Baker cautioned that sequencing should not be used to hide the true cost of the project, or its impact on other transportation infrastructure priorities in Oregon.

鈥淚 understand it’s a process that has worked in Washington, and we’ve been guilty of it here at times, but the direction of the Legislature and the feeling of this commission is that’s not the appropriate way to do it,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淲e should scope it. We should come up with a budget. We should put everything out there 鈥� because at $13.6 billion, what do you think that’s going to do to our ability to handle projects around the state if that bridge is draining that tank?鈥�

With the Coast Guard’s approval, a supplemental environmental impact statement can be finalized and a record of decision made for the project. Oregon and Washington transportation leaders also face a Sept. 30 deadline to allocate $927 million of a $1.5 billion federal grant.

In the meantime, the project is moving forward. Engineers are testing ways to strengthen the soils around the bridge. They’re using a test site adjacent to the I-5 southbound Hayden Island exit.

鈥淭here are different techniques that have different results,鈥� said Ray Mabey, assistant program administrator. 鈥淓ach one of them is fairly expensive, and we want to make sure that we address and pick the right one.鈥�

The IBR team is also looking ahead to bidding for the massive progressive design-build contract for bridge construction.

At least two teams, maybe three, are expected to bid on the contract, Mabey said. Other packages will be broken into parts small enough for local contractors to tackle.

IBR program officials are 鈥渕aking sure that we have packages that are sized appropriately for biddability, but also our local contractors,鈥� Mabey said. 鈥淲e’re not hearing a desire to have construction packages sized that only draw on the worldwide companies.鈥�