The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project is among the two most expensive highway developments per mile in the United States, according to an analysis by City Observatory. At a total estimated cost of $15 billion, the 5-mile project connecting Vancouver and Portland costs approximately $3 billion per mile.

The project’s fiscal trajectory has drawn scrutiny as regional transportation agencies face mounting budget pressures. The IBR’s cost per mile exceeds that of the nearby I-5 Rose Quarter widening project in Portland, which City Observatory currently estimates at $2.3 billion per mile. Together, the two projects represent the highest-cost freeway developments in the country based on an AI-assisted compilation of state-level projects, though the report notes the usual caveats regarding AI-generated data.

The IBR project has seen significant cost escalations. According to City Observatory’s account of agency representations, the project was revived based on a 2020 cost estimate of $4.5 billion. By late 2023, that figure had risen to $7.5 billion, before reaching the current $15 billion projection. This represents a substantial increase from the $4 billion price tag criticized by former Congressman Peter DeFazio fifteen years ago.

These rising costs coincide with a period of fiscal instability for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), which manages the projects. ODOT recently acknowledged a $200 million biennial budget deficit and warned of potential layoffs for 10 percent of its workforce. In May 2026, a referendum to increase gas taxes and vehicle registration fees to support transportation funding was rejected by voters, with 83 percent voting against the measure.

The financial management of the IBR has become a central issue for local governance. As previously reported by Columbia Countercurrent on July 31, 2026, candidates for the Clark County Council have focused their campaigns on the county’s role in the bridge program and the management of persistent budget deficits.

Critics of the current management strategy, including Joe Cortright of City Observatory, argue that agencies have engaged in deceptive accounting by low-balling initial estimates to secure legislative approval. The report notes that ODOT released a $3.5 billion estimate for the Rose Quarter project just 60 days after telling the Oregon Transportation Commission the cost was $2.2 billion. The report also claims that by omitting the $15 billion IBR cost and understating the Rose Quarter figures, official liability reports have understated regional highway obligations by more than $5 billion.

Funding for these projects remains precarious. While the Rose Quarter project initially received a $450 million federal grant, the bulk of those funds were rescinded by Congress, and a subsequent request for $750 million was denied in 2024. The IBR project continues to move forward despite these regional funding gaps and the $815 million cost of the related I-205 Abernethy Bridge project.

Source: Opinion: Bankrupt – A $3.5 billion Rose Quarter Freeway widening project