Uh oh. All lanes of I-205 northbound will be CLOSED for paving this weekend between Southeast Foster Road and Interstate 84.
The closure will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, with all lanes open again by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5. This effort is part of the I-205 Paving, Auxiliary Lanes and ODOT RealTime Signs project from Johnson Creek Boulevard to the Glenn Jackson Bridge.
Outside of the closure area, three additional on-ramps that lead to northbound I-205 — Sunnyside/Sunnybrook Boulevard, Johnson Creek Boulevard and Glisan Street — will also close for the weekend starting at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2.
Signed detours will direct travelers to alternate routes. ODOT advises to expect congestion on the detour routes and plan ahead for delays.
Public transit is another option, as the TriMet Green Line runs parallel to the close portion of I-205. Visit Trimet.org to plan trips or contact TriMet’s Rider support team at 503-238-RIDE.
ODOT says closing I-205 northbound for a weekend is an efficient approach, as it saves time, money and improves safety for crews.
The alternative would be three to four weeks of partial nighttime closures, so closing all lanes for one weekend eliminates about 17 days of paving work. ODOT estimated it also generates more than half a million dollars in cost savings.
The last time this section of I-205 was paved was 15 years ago, and ODOT says the surface is deteriorating. This project also includes the construction of three new auxiliary lanes.
Additional closures
Installation of nearly 20 new sign structures to support ODOT RealTime Signs and other directional signs along the corridor will cause additional nighttime closures of one of both directions of I-205.
In August, installation of a new sign bridge requires up to several nights of full closures of the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge. Dates have not been selected for this work, which will take place between 11:59 p.m. and 5 a.m.
For travelers on I-205 north, all exits before the Glenn Jackson Bridge, including Airport Way, will be open. Northbound travelers bound for Washington should follow the signed detour using Interstate 84 and Interstate 5.
For travelers on I-205 south in Washington, exits prior to the Glenn Jackson Bridge will be open. Southbound travelers bound for Oregon should follow the signed detour using State Route 14 and Interstate 5.
The new sign bridge is 166 feet long and spans both directions of the freeway over Government Island. When installed, it will house ODOT RealTime advisory speed signs for northbound travelers and an updated destination sign for southbound travelers.
For the closure date information, please check TripCheck.com and visit I205construction.org.
