$15B Bridge Project Moves Forward as Nick Shirley Investigates Seattle’s Homelessness Crisis

A massive $15 billion Columbia River bridge project is moving forward — but lawmakers are still fighting over the price tag, the funding gap, and whether light rail belongs in the plan. The Interstate Bridge Replacement project has ballooned from earlier estimates of roughly $6 billion, with critics questioning the rising costs and whether taxpayers are getting enough in return. Supporters argue the aging bridge needs to be replaced and warn that further delays could put federal funding at risk. Then, independent journalist Nick Shirley takes us into Seattle’s “jungle” with We Heart Seattle founder Andrea Suarez, where homelessness, drug use and the city’s approach to the crisis are front and center. The debate is getting harder to ignore: How much should taxpayers spend on major infrastructure — and is Washington’s approach to homelessness actually working? Watch Washington in Focus Daily for the latest on Washington state government, politics and policy.