The last few weeks, Seattle commuters have been weathering I-5 maintenance on the Ship Canal Bridge. The traffic is bad, the timeline is long … yeah, it’s not fun. 

Maybe this will help ease the frustration while you wait in traffic. It could be worse: we could need a whole new bridge.

That’s the situation for the I-5 span over the Columbia River, at the border of Washington and Oregon. Parts of the crossing are over 100 years old, and local leaders have discussed a replacement for decades.

Planning between Washington and Oregon started twenty years ago … the project hasn’t broken ground yet, and cost estimates have recently ballooned.

But the I-5 bridge replacement got good news from the Coast Guard this month that could make it a tad less pricey.

Guests: 

• Carley Francis, Interim Program Administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program

Related links: 

• Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
• Washington State Is Losing Control of the Columbia Interstate Bridge Replacement Megaproject » The Urbanist
• Coast Guard OKs new I-5 bridge over Columbia River without movable span • Washington State Standard

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