Portland— Federal highway officials have named the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River one of the nation's top transportation priorities, promising to clear the federal bureaucracy to help a $2-billion to $6-billion reconstruction move forward at full speed.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has promised to help find money and furnish permits for the I-5 bridge, which connects Portland with Vancouver, Wash., immediately pledging $15 million in planning money.

The bridge project was part of a West Coast-wide plea for congestion relief. Oregon, Washington and California had joined to ask the federal government to make Interstate 5 a national priority. Thirty-eight traffic-clotted regions nationally competed to be named Corridors of the Future, and Interstate 5 through Oregon, Washington and California was one of six that made it, the Transportation Department announced.

The designation should make it easier for the Northwest and its congressional delegation to compete for and win essential federal money to do the job. The Columbia River Crossing project hopes to fix a congested five-mile stretch, including the bridge, connecting Oregon and southwest Washington.

A recent study suggests if nothing is done, six hours of average weekday congestion could grow to 16 hours a day by 2030.