# Washington State Department of Transportation

Type: government

Source: GetYourBrief — https://getyourbrief.com/entity/washington-state-department-of-transportation
Canonical HTML page: https://getyourbrief.com/entity/washington-state-department-of-transportation

## Timeline

- **2028-06-01**: Target Construction Start — Official goal for breaking ground on the new bridge spans and light rail extension.
- **2028**: Construction Start — Target date for breaking ground on the new bridge spans.
- **2026-03-18**: Cost Surge Reported — New estimates show project costs soaring, prompting a re-evaluation of the funding plan.
- **2026-03**: Cost Escalation — Official reports indicate project costs have significantly increased.
- **2026-03**: Legislative Alarm — State leaders express public concern over the widening infrastructure funding gap.
- **2025-11**: Revenue Warning — State budget office reports significant underperformance in fuel tax collections.
- **2024**: Environmental Review — Publication of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
- **2023-12-15**: Federal Funding Secured — The project receives a $600M federal Mega grant, the largest in the program's history at the time.
- **2023-01**: EV Sales Surge — Washington reaches one of the highest rates of new EV registrations in the country.
- **2021-05**: Climate Commitment Act — WA passes landmark cap-and-invest legislation, impacting long-term fuel prices.
- **2019-11-01**: IBR Program Launch — WA and OR governors sign a memorandum of intent to restart the bridge replacement process.
- **2019**: Program Restart — Washington and Oregon governors signed an agreement to restart the replacement process.
- **2013-07-01**: CRC Failure — The previous Columbia River Crossing project is cancelled after funding disputes.
- **2013**: CRC Project Collapse — The previous Columbia River Crossing project was cancelled due to funding disputes.

## Recent coverage (3 stories, network-wide)

### Washington’s Infrastructure Funding Crisis: The Erosion of Gas Tax Revenue
2026-03-26 01:06:27 · Sector: finance · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

Washington state officials are grappling with a persistent decline in gas tax revenue, a trend that threatens the long-term viability of transportation infrastructure funding. As electric vehicle adoption accelerates and fuel efficiency improves, the state faces a structural deficit that may necessitate a transition to mileage-based road usage charges.
Full story: https://getfinancebrief.com/story/wa-gas-tax-revenue-decline-infrastructure-crisis

### I-5 Bridge Costs Soar as WA and OR Target 2028 Construction Start
2026-03-18 13:15:52 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2

The Interstate Bridge Replacement program faces significant cost escalations as Washington and Oregon officials commit to a 2028 construction timeline. This critical West Coast freight bottleneck requires urgent modernization to prevent long-term supply chain disruptions.
Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/i5-bridge-replacement-costs-soar-2028-logistics

### I-5 Bridge Replacement Costs Surge as WA and OR Target 2028 Groundbreaking
2026-03-18 13:12:26 · Sector: proptech · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2

The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program has seen its projected costs escalate significantly, creating a new funding gap for Washington and Oregon. Despite the financial headwinds, both states are doubling down on a 2028 construction start date to modernize the critical West Coast logistics corridor.
Full story: https://getproptechbrief.com/story/i5-bridge-replacement-cost-surge-2028-construction

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