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Oregon and Washington state leaders on Tuesday released an updated price tag for the Interstate Bridge replacement project that fell closely in line with documents unearthed months ago by critics of the long-planned expansion.

The total cost estimate for the bridge and 5-mile corridor of Interstate 5 rose to $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, with a 鈥渕ost likely cost鈥� of $14.4 billion, according to a joint statement from state highway officials. That price tag lands within highway officials’ earlier estimated range of $12.2 billion to $17.7 billion.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson doubled down on their support for the project despite rising costs.

鈥淲e need a new bridge and it’s time to start building it,鈥� Kotek expressed in the joint statement.

By focusing on 鈥渁 core set of projects,鈥� she stated, the states can deliver a 鈥渕odern, earthquake-ready bridge, with no bridge lifts, less traffic congestion, extended light rail and better options for people walking and biking.鈥�

Tuesday’s cost estimates were the first released by the two states since 2022, when program officials gauged the cost at $5 billion to $7.5 billion. Since then, construction costs have run hotter than overall inflation, mostly because of materials and labor and fluctuating tariffs.

The Interstate Bridge replacement (IBR) program team, made up of Oregon and Washington transportation departments, plans to hire a contractor in 2027 to complete design work. The bridge is regarded as at risk of collapse in a major earthquake.

鈥淭he bridge聽must,聽and will聽be replaced,鈥� Ferguson stated. 鈥淒elaying a major project has never made costs go down.聽We’ve聽achieved important progress in the past year, and聽we will continue to move forward by focusing on the core mission of聽replacing the bridge.鈥�

Highway officials and state leaders refocused Tuesday on the more modest goal of replacing the two bridge spans, connecting them to I-5 and extending light rail service to Vancouver. Those aspects would total $7.65 billion, according to the joint statement.

Light-rail service may be needed to access some federal funding, but some elected officials and residents in Vancouver have protested bringing Portland-based light rail to Southwest Washington.

Joe Cortright, an economist and director of Portland-based City Observatory who has been a persistent critic of the project, said the state transportation departments were misleading constituents by focusing on half of the project.

鈥淭he high-level bridge requires elevated freeways on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the river, with new interchanges elevated high into the air to reach the new roadway,鈥� Cortright stated Tuesday. 鈥�ODOT and WSDOT have intentionally designed this so once you start, you must build everything. The reality is they’ll never stop with Phase I. Start construction and you’re signing up for $15 billion and 20 years of construction hell.鈥�

The IBR program currently has聽$5.5 billion聽in available state and federal funds.

鈥淭his funding is sufficient to continue the states’ momentum and begin the construction process聽while working toward further improvements to the larger corridor on both sides of the bridge,鈥� the team stated Tuesday.

Highway officials聽are pursuing聽an聽additional聽$1 billion聽in funding through the Federal Transit Administration‘s Capital Investment Grants program.

鈥淢anaging our risks, including schedule, is imperative,鈥� ODOT interim Director Lisa Sumption stated. 鈥淲e are committed to moving this program into construction and completing this critical infrastructure for our region and the economy.鈥�

Contractors and union representatives have touted the project, saying it would bring huge economic benefits in wages and other spending.

鈥淲e’re pleased to see this part of this moving forward now, and it’s time to get this project built,鈥� said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter.

He lamented that it’s taken so long to replace the aging bridge.

鈥淚t also demonstrates the cost of the delay,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we’d done this 15 years ago, it probably would have cost less than $3 billion.鈥�