WATCH: Gov announces start of I-5 bridge project that GOP lawmaker slams as ‘Outrageous Boondoggle’

(The Center Square) – Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday that construction on the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington will begin in 2028.

The megaproject has been in the works for nearly two decades and cost estimates have exploded over time with design now, including light rail across the bridge.

“We’re going to build this bridge. That’s gonna happen. There’s just too much at stake for any other option,” Ferguson said during a Vancouver press conference, surrounded by lawmakers, city officials from Oregon and Washington and representatives from the building trades.

The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) team had been anxious to break ground later this year as one of the federal grants for...