Effort to replace Interstate 5 Bridge reaches milestone as four river users OK agreements

Leaders say they’ve reached a key milestone in their quest to replace the century-old Interstate 5 Bridge.

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program announced Tuesday that four Columbia River users likely to be impacted by the proposed replacement bridge’s 116-foot height restrictions have signed agreements worth $140 million to allow for a fixed-span bridge design.

“This is a critical milestone towards receiving a bridge clearance permit,” the program noted in a news release announcing the agreements with four river users — Advanced American , a marine contracting company; JT Marine, Inc. , a shipyard services business; and fabricators Greenberry Industrial and Thompson Metal Fab .

Now the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation can submit an updated report on navi