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Bi-state staff: final SEIS and record of decision targeted for early 2026; updated cost estimate due before December meeting
Summary
Program staff told the joint Oregon-Washington committee that the Interstate 5 Bridge replacement remains in the supplemental environmental impact statement process, that a NOAA Fisheries biological opinion supports ESA compliance, and that a new cost estimate and finance plan will be delivered to the committee before the December session.
Greg Johnson, program administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program, told the joint OregonWashington legislative committee on Sept. 15 that the project remains in the supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) process and that staff are targeting an early-2026 record of decision from federal partners that would clear the way for construction.
Johnson said the program has received a biological opinion from NOAA Fisheries finding that the program complies with the Endangered Species Act, and staff plan to submit a navigational impact report to the U.S. Coast Guard that will inform whether the crossing will be a fixed 116-foot span or a movable span. "We are hoping to move out of that process in early 2026," Johnson said.
Why it matters: a federal record of decision is a prerequisite for most construction…
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