Lawmakers in Oregon and Washington are demanding answers about the ballooning costs of the I-5 bridge replacement project between Vancouver and Portland. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.
Legislators from the two states overseeing the project met this past Monday and say they are still not getting key details on cost and design decisions.
Washington State Representative John Ley (LEE) of Vancouver says hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent with little progress and no accountability:
“The I-5 bridge replacement project – it’s a rudderless ship adrift. It’s a program burning through about 50 million bucks a year with no real oversight, even when legislators like myself ask hard questions.”
Initial estimates ranged from three to five billion, but lawmakers now warn the price tag could soar past ten billion dollars-a 200 percent increase. Ley and others argue the project should be put on hold until taxpayers get honest answers.
The debate over the future of the I-5 bridge is expected to intensify when the two legislatures convene in January.