Motorists Brace for Interstate Bridge Closure

Portland, Oregon -- While motorists brace for the biggest traffic jam the Portland-Vancouver area has ever seen, the Oregon and Washington departments of transportation, the cities of Portland and Vancouver, C-TRAN, Tri-Met, Clark County, the S.W. Washington Regional Transportation Council and Metro are making sure that last-minute details are in place for shutdown of the northbound span of the Interstate Bridge.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be," announced ODOT Region 1 Manager Don Wagner. "The Traffic Management Plan (TMP) components are in place. It's now in the hands of the motorist. The success of this half-year effort hinges on their next move."

ODOT and project construction contractor, Christie Constructors, Inc. continue to believe the bridge repair can be finished in approximately one week.

According to Wagner, last week's announcement to shorten the bridge closure to one week does not in any way lessen the anticipated traffic impacts to both state's transportation system.

Some of those impacts start tonight. At around 9 p.m. construction crews will begin setting the concrete barrier that will divert northbound traffic on the southbound span Monday morning. Though the bridge will remain open during the barrier placement activity, ODOT strongly encourages motorists to avoid the area. The bridge will close tomorrow morning at 5 a.m.

Many motorists have stepped up to the plate and chosen transportation alternatives. Tri-Met reports about 240 news carpools were formed last month.

C-TRAN officials indicate businesses have reserved 120 vans and 12 subscription buses for chauffeuring employees to and from work. The city of Portland reports phone inquiries for bicycle route information number in the hundreds. ODOT outreach coordinators report a number of very large businesses and organizations have expressed an interest in the Amtrak service and have recommended it to their employees.

"I'm very impressed with the amount of planning that our citizens have made in preparation for this closure," said city of Vancouver Mayor, Royce Pollard. "Our transportation division received so many calls regarding bicycling as a transportation option that we added a park-and-bike lot at 3rd and Columbia to encourage that kind of thinking."

ODOT and its regional partners strongly urge motorists still weighing their transportation options to call for assistance ...