Interstate 5 bridge

Some officials worried this could be the ‘poison pill that stops the bridge.’

Washington state lawmakers set out Wednesday to raise $1.6 billion from tolls to help pay for construction of a replacement bridge on Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.

While there is political agreement that the bridge is a source of congestion, the replacement program has critics as well as champions, and its future is not certain.

The replacement of the Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver will affect many people, but few more than residents of Hayden Island.

The project is expected to cost roughly $6 billion. Several design options are still under consideration.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown discussed a potential new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River during a phone call this...