Oregon
Replacing I-5 bridge will aid drivers, displace some homeowners in WA and Oregon • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Fewer crashes, faster commutes, more transit options and less air pollution are among the expected benefits of replacing the Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River, linking Washington and Oregon, according to a new report released Friday.
There will be costs as well. Construction will require buying up as many as 43 homes and 36 businesses in the two states. Tolling to cover bridge operations will hit lower-income families hardest. And some vessels may be too tall to travel under a new span depending on the chosen design.
The report, known as the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, spans hundreds of pages. It examines potential impacts of locally preferred alternatives for a new bridge compared to doing nothing, or a “no build” option.
Its much-anticipated arrival provides some of the most specific details yet on how the massive, multi-billion undertaking will transform the region. Friday marked the start of a 60-day public comment period on its findings.
Greg Johnson, administrator of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, called the release of the report “a key milestone” and said a focus the next few weeks will be to get the widest ranges of voices from communities reflected in the document.
It is a lengthy and technical document. Online, it is spliced into sections on the program website, with a separate link to each topic like transportation, acquisitions or cumulative effects.
“We’ve done everything we can to bring information to the public so that they can be part of this historic, monumental endeavor,” said Chris Regan, the project’s environmental manager.
A huge challenge
One of the bridge’s two spans is over a century old, the other about 65 years old, and the entire bridge is at risk of collapse in a major earthquake
Project planners estimate the price tag for replacing the bridge will range from $5 billion to $7.5 billion, with a likely figure of around $6 billion. Once rolling, construction is expected to last until 2032.
Thus far, federal grants totaling $2.1 billion have been locked down. Planners are pursuing $1 billion from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program. A decision on that funding isn’t expected until the project is further along.
Washington and Oregon have both committed about $1 billion. Tolls – which could be imposed in both directions on the existing bridge by 2026 – are counted on to raise $1.2 billion for construction, plus provide an ongoing stream of revenue for bridge maintenance and operations.
What’s envisioned is construction of two new bridges, one southbound and one northbound, west of the existing bridge. Each would have three through lanes, safety shoulders, and one or two auxiliary lanes, depending on the chosen alternative. When finished, the existing bridge would be removed.
Also planned is a 1.9-mile extension of light-rail from North Portland, where it currently ends, to a future station near Evergreen Boulevard in Vancouver.
There are three bridge configurations under consideration. One is a double-deck truss bridge with vehicles using the top deck and light rail on the lower deck. Another design is for two single-level bridges with fixed spans, and the third is a single-level bridge with a movable span, similar to what exists today.
The report looks at other elements of the projects including new transit stations, new highway interchanges, tolling and impacts on land use and local economy.
Program officials said at a news conference Friday that what is learned from the review process, and environmental studies, will inform their efforts to avoid, minimize or mitigate negative effects.
Good and bad
At a high level, one of the biggest benefits cited by the report is how traveling along the I-5 corridor between Vancouver and Portland would improve.
It is anticipated that with more transit options – light rail and express buses – there will be fewer vehicles on the road. Less congestion will shorten commute times and reduce the number of crashes, the report concludes.
And the project will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as drivers switch to low and carbon free transportation options, Regan said.
One negative could be the homes and businesses acquired to make way for the project.
In Washington, most acquisitions and displacements would be commercial properties and multifamily dwellings in downtown Vancouver, the report states. Some single-family residences would be acquired along I Street in Vancouver’s Shumway neighborhood and up to 13 businesses in downtown Vancouver would be displaced.
In Oregon, commercial properties and floating homes on Hayden Island will need to be bought up.
An area the project could have a “cumulative adverse effect” is navigation on the river, the report found.
If the new span is a drawbridge, the vertical clearance will be 178 feet as it is today.
But the other potential designs – single- or double-deck fixed-spans – would have only 116 feet of vertical clearance. That would “permanently prevent vessels with (vertical navigation clearance) requirements of greater than 116 feet to transit under the bridge for its 100+ year service life,” the report concludes.
The IBR Program plans six public meetings in October, four virtual and two in-person. Times and details can be found online at www.interstatebridge.org.
Oregon
College Football Games To Watch During Oregon State’s Bye Week
The Oregon State Beavers’ football team will be idle the weekend of September 28 after a 3-1 start to the season. Even though the Beavers won’t play a game, several of the opponents remaining on their schedule are active. Here’s how you can watch those games on Saturday and what you can expect to see.
Washington State Cougars @ Boise State Broncos – 7 PM PT on FS1
Boise State made their way to #25 in the AP Poll this week after a 2-1 start. Running back Ashton Jeanty is second in the nation in rushing yards with 586 through three games. The 4-0 Washington State Cougars hope to slow him down, and continue to rack up points on the offensive end after averaging 46.2 points per game so far this year. WSU come to Corvallis November 23 and the Broncos host the Beavers on November 29.
Fresno State Bulldogs @ UNLV Rebels – 12:30 PM PT on FS1
UNLV has had one of the strangest starts to a season in modern college football history. While they are 3-0 and up to #23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, their starting quarterback Matthew Sluka essentially quit the team this week over an unfulfilled NIL agreement. On top of that, they host a good Fresno State team whose only loss so far is at Michigan. UNLV make the trip to Reser Stadium on October 19. Fresno State aren’t part of the Beavers’ schedule this year, but are part of the group of seven Mountain West schools that will join the league in 2026.
Air Force Falcons @ Wyoming Cowboys – 7 PM PT on CBS Sports Network
These two Mountain West schools are off to disappointing starts to the year with Air Force at 1-2 and Wyoming at 0-4. Both the Falcons and the Cowboys are bottom of the conference in scoring offense and total offense. The Falcons are searching for their first win over an FBS team this season. Air Force host Oregon State on November 16.
Also…Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans – 4:30 PM PT on Peacock
It’s probably fair to say that at least some Oregon State fans have a morbid curiosity about Jonathan Smith’s first season at Michigan State, along with the high number of former Beaver players on the Spartans’ roster. Michigan State are 3-1 to start the season after a four-point loss to Boston College last week. Now, the Spartans host the #3 team in the country with Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes.
More Reading Material From On SI
Oregon State Football Announces 2027-2028 Series With BYU
State of the Beavs: OSU is 3-1 at the Break + Pac-12 Realignment Madness
3 Things We Learned From Oregon State’s Win Over Purdue in Week 4
Oregon
Oregon State Football Announces 2027-2028 Series With BYU
The Oregon State football program announced Wednesday a series of games with the Brigham Young University Cougars. The new series will begin 2027 when the Beavers travel to Provo on September 25, 2027. The second game will take place September 9, 2028 in Corvallis.
The two teams have not met on the gridiron since 2012. Oregon State leads the all-time series 6-5.
BYU completed over a decade of FBS independence from 2011 to 2022. They recently moved to the Big 12 conference prior to the 2012 season. The Cougars are now in their ninth season under the leadership of head coach Kalani Sitake in 2024. Sitake has an overall record of 65-41 as the Cougars head coach.
More Reading Material From On SI
Oregon State Beavers Up 3 Spots In SP+ Rankings From Week 5
State of the Beavs: OSU is 3-1 at the Break + Pac-12 Realignment Madness
3 Things We Learned From Oregon State’s Win Over Purdue in Week 4
Oregon
How Oregon State-Purdue fared for television viewership numbers
Oregon State’s Week 4 game against Purdue in Reser Stadium was viewed by 452,000 on The CW.
Three of OSU’s four televised games this season have been measured by rating service Nielsen. The three games – Idaho State, Oregon, Purdue – have averaged 1.21 million viewers. OSU’s two games on The CW are averaging 417,000.
The CW showed three football games last weekend. Friday night’s Washington State-San Jose State four-hour thriller was viewed by 542,000, while Texas Christian-SMU attracted 322,000.
Oregon State-Purdue had a kickoff time of 5:30 p.m. Other games that roughly started in that time slot were Tennessee-Oklahoma (6.27 million, ABC), Baylor-Colorado (3.64 million, Fox), Iowa-Minnesota (1.89 million, NBC), Portland State-Boise State (248,000, FS1), Akron-South Carolina (89,000, ESPNU) and Fresno State-New Mexico (55,000, truTV).
The most watched game last weekend was USC at Michigan, viewed by 6.32 million.
Oregon State’s next game is Oct. 5 against Colorado State, televised by The CW.
–Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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