Rethinking Your Portland Trip With New Tolls On I-5 Bridge

It's been a long time since I've made the drive to Portland Oregon. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time going to and from Portland, I just remember driving over that I-5 bridge over the Columbia River and thinking, ah, this is a new place, very different from Seattle. 

Now living in the Wenatchee Valley my choice of a Route to Portland is very different. These days I would head to Yakima, continue on Hwy 97 to Goldendale, cross the Columbia River near Maryhill and continue on Hwy 84 into Portland. If I don't stop to charge up the car it's about a 5-hour drive. (I need to stop and charge at least once.) 

If I was living on the west side of the Cascades, it would be a whole other trip. I would just jump on I-5 and head South. Living in Seattle, the commute to Portland would be about 3 1/2 hours. But the one thing you will be encountering next year on your commute from Seattle to Portland is a toll on the current I 5 bridge. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘Tolling in both directions on the existing bridge will be one of the first things the public experiences once construction of a replacement bridge gets underway. It is also a critical source of funding to help cover the cost of the project, which could range from $5 billion to $7.5 billion.’ 

No decision has been made yet on what the toll would actually be. Currently they're discussing a range anywhere from $1.55 to $4.70. Also, in discussion is to possibly make the toll even higher to just help pay for that bridge. I mean, you got a $7 billion loan you got to cover. 

If you do drive the I-5 bridge between Washington and Oregon, get used to that toll when it kicks in because it's going to be there for a while. They're not expecting the new bridge to be functioning until somewhere around 2032 or 2033. 

I'm sure it will be a beautiful bridge. I wonder if they're going to keep the old one. All this talk of driving and bridge tolls makes me want to take the train to Portland.  

Just for the fun of it.
Tolling delay on I-5 bridge could mean higher rates for WA drivers | The Seattle Times
Cost, Funding & Economic Benefits | Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
Toll Traffic & Revenue Study Fact Sheet - January 2024