Interstate-5 bridge replacement plan draws questions on light rail, tolls and local costs

Frank Green of the Interstate Bridge Replacement team and a colleague described the program to the La Center City Council on Wednesday, outlining a multimodal plan that would replace aging I‑5 spans, add active‑transportation facilities and extend light rail into Vancouver.

The presentation said the program targets work across about five miles of the I‑5 corridor, includes a proposed 1.9‑mile extension of Portland’s MAX light rail with three new stations, and would be delivered as many contracts rather than a single job. Frank Green, introduced as an assistant program administrator on the IVR team, said the program is advancing environmental review and design work and that officials are “targeting an ‘in‑water’ construction window in 2027.”

Why it matters: the project would change regional transit and freight access, rely heavily on federal grants already awarded, and — if light rail remains part of the locally preferred alternative — create long‑term operations and maintenance (O&M) obligations that local agencies may need to fund. Those funding decisions could affect local taxes, tolling patterns and transit service.

Program staff showed recent funding awards and targets. The presenters said roughly…