Delta Park bottleneck
Oregon will start work in 2008 on the Delta Park bottleneck, a continual source of frustration for Clark County commuters:
Yes, it's long overdue, but it looks like it will finally get started. So as the process to do something about the Interstate Bridge moves forward, at least the bottleneck is being addressed.
The plan calls for:This is pretty much the first thing that had to happen. Clark County residents who work in Portland justifiably point to the narrowing of I-5 as a pressing issue.
Widening I-5 to three southbound lanes along 1.2 miles from Delta Park to the North Columbia Boulevard entrance ramp.
Widening the northbound shoulders and inside median.
Widening freeway bridges over the Columbia Slough and Columbia Boulevard to make way for the third southbound lane and the northbound shoulder.
Realigning and lengthening onramps and offramps at Columbia Boulevard and North Victory Boulevard.
Building a new bridge at the Columbia Boulevard southbound onramp.
Cost of the I-5 improvements has been set at $69 million, set to come from federal and state sources.
But neither the budget nor the time line has been set yet for improvements planned for nearby streets. These include replacing the North Denver Avenue viaduct over Columbia Boulevard and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, replacing the Denver Avenuebridge over the Slough, and reconstructing the Denver Avenue-North Schmeer Road intersection.
Yes, it's long overdue, but it looks like it will finally get started. So as the process to do something about the Interstate Bridge moves forward, at least the bottleneck is being addressed.
