Transportation 'Light rail to nowhere'? Surging costs undercut I-5 bridge transit plan

A ginormous cost increase to construct a new bridge linking Washington and Oregon is forcing state leaders and program managers to rightsize public expectations for the megaproject.

And, some say, downsize the vision for a marquee component — light rail.

City officials in Vancouver, Washington, are incensed that plans for bringing light rail service into town, near the local library, are getting put off indefinitely. They worry the end of the rail line could be a station perched high above freight train tracks near the city’s waterfront because there’s no timeline for designing the final leg of the long-promised route.

As it is, service on the initial stretch to the waterfront is at least a decade away and requires federal funding that isn’t locked in.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/05/29/light-rail-to-nowhere-surging-costs-undercut-i-5-bridge-transit-plan/