The Oregon Transportation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve an approximately $3.6 billion increase in funding for the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program.

The amendment to the 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program increases funding from approximately $2.05 billion to approximately $5.7 billion for a first set of Interstate Bridge projects. In total, they are expected to cost $7.65 billion, interim IBR Program administrator Carley Francis said. Those projects encompass program management, which includes right of way and utility relocation costs, preliminary engineering and construction for the new bridge, connections to Interstate 5 and State Route 14 and Hayden Island, removal of the existing Interstate Bridge spans, and pre-construction tolling. It will also include light rail infrastructure design north and south of the new bridge.

“We had not previously included bridge removal in the STIP amendment because of the time frame; it would occur outside of the STIP horizon,” Francis said. “However, in focusing on maintenance of traffic for river users, and considering opportunities both for combining contracts and also just managing that risk of river movement and having one entity be both constructing and removing the bridges and be responsible for that, it provided some opportunities.”

The cost to remove the current bridge is expected to be $390 million.

The STIP funding comes from general obligation bonding via Oregon House Bill 5005 (2023), a Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant from the Federal Highway Administration, toll revenue, a Move Ahead Washington grant, and a Mega grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Specifically, the STIP amendment includes an increase from approximately $554.6 million to $795.36 million for costs associated with preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and utility relocation; an increase from approximately $1.47 billion to $4.78 billion for preliminary engineering and construction work that will allow the completion of the new bridge adjacent to the existing one; an increase from $24.59 million to $51.9 million for pre-launch activities related to tolling; and an allocation of $50.7 million to advance design for light rail elements north and south of the bridge.

Meanwhile, Francis said, the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is set to vote June 2 whether to amend the state’s 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Metro Council is slated to vote June 25 whether to amend the 2024-2027 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Plan. Both proposals would increase funding for the project.

If those proposals were to gain approval, federal agencies would issue an amended Record of Decision (ROD) and secure the obligation of the remaining $1.5 billion of BIP funding and $600 million of Mega funding.

“There is $546 million of BIP funds that would expire if we do not obligate them by the end of September,” Francis said.

The IBR Program team expects to receive an ROD this summer. That would allow the project to enter the construction phase, including the construction contractor procurement process. Design and cost negotiations would occur in 2027, and bridge construction activities would begin in 2028.

According to the IBR Program website, the entire project cost is estimated at $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion with a likely cost of $14.4 billion. It will remain an estimate until a guaranteed maximum price is determined, Francis said.

There will be a robust governance process from both states overseeing the project going forward, said Travis Brouwer, deputy director of revenue, finance and compliance for the Oregon Department of Transportation. It will likely include regularly updating the state transportation commissions and legislatures on construction costs.

Brouwer added that Tuesday’s vote commits funds that are available now and already committed. Any decision for additional funding would be brought before the Oregon Transportation Commission, he said.

The two states’ transportation commissions will meet June 5 to discuss toll rates and options for the project.

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