Commuters, shoppers and recreational drivers between Vancouver and Portland will continue to face tough weekend drives for the next few months as four lanes of the southbound I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge will be reduced to just two lanes during bridge joint replacement work.
The I-205 bridge is co-owned by the states of Oregon and Washington, with Oregon responsible for maintenance of the structure. More than 140,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day. The Oregon Department of Transportation is replacing 20 aging bridge joints on the north end of the structure. The joints are more than 30 years old and at the end of their functional lifespan.
Drivers felt the effects of around-the-clock double-lane closures during work on the northbound bridge lanes earlier this year. Backups extended 10 miles into Oregon, delays topped two hours and I-5 became clogged with detouring drivers.
Transportation officials in Oregon and Washington are coordinating traffic control during these lane closures. However, the agencies expect similar backups during southbound work that begins Friday.
WSDOT is asking drivers to avoid I-205 during around-the-clock double-lane closures, which are scheduled for every other weekend through September. Drivers will also encounter nighttime lane closures on weekdays and opposite weekends.
