A major portion of Interstate-205 was planned to be closed which would have caused several delays and detours in traffic that would’ve made longer routes difficult and overall more inefficient. But there was an important explanation for the closure of this interstate. The reason was cleaning and maintenance, to facilitate and improve the quality and the efficiency of the roads. However this didn’t come to be.

Don Hamilton, who has been a public information officer for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the Portland and Oregon metro area for almost 15 years, expressed how much help the first cleaning of I-205 was to the drivers. As well as the environment and the safety of the road. As such it’s a wonder why the closure hadn’t happened again.

ODOT was planning to work in conjunction with other private companies to help clean up the interstate/metro area for the entire day, and well through the night. This was to do as thorough a job as possible, and to make sure the job was done as efficiently as possible so everybody could return to their normal commutes as soon as possible.

Hamilton expressed that everyone was “happy” and “excited” to get this planned project authorized. This emphasizes how much all the workers and volunteers were prepared to undergo this action. As such it must have been a disappointment that this project wasn’t allowed.

During this day of work, ODOT, with their help, would have not only cleaned the road of things like rubber, rocks, and other miscellaneous objects off the road but would also remove graffiti. These would decrease the amount of accidents from catching on debris but allow a more enjoyable to drive through. Furthermore improving the view that visitors will see when going through the state.

Pee Wee Harrison, a former Harlem Globetrotter, had suggested ODOT try synthetic ivy over former graffitied areas to hopefully stop more graffiti appearing every day. This action will not only enhance the scenery with nice foliage, but will also cover distasteful vandalism of the interstates walls, theoretically protecting them from further damage.

As ODOT has accepted to try the ivy out, they would’ve probably applied it along the interstate walls to keep it nice and green. As well as applied the ivy throughout the City of Portland where they clean to keep it from being completely covered in graffiti.

Hamilton has also suggested that while the project was planned to be ongoing, the road would undergo much needed repairs without the interruption of the drivers and this would’ve allowed them to take their time and be more thorough about the execution of this action.

Interstate 205 would’ve most likely been changed in another way as well by the Federal Highway Administration in accordance with President Trump’s orders during this time as well. Through the slashing of the “unnecessary” resources, staff, which had a chance to interfere with the project and make it less efficient. It in fact may be the reason it wasn’t implemented in the first place.

Projects

Along with the now defunct plans for the closure of Interstate 205 there are still several projects in the works and planned. Some of which are in progress currently. And Abernethy Bridge repairs and modifications are a part of these plans as well. These projects are vital to the continuation of safety and efficiency of the populace during their travels. And so through these actions furthermore will be continued through the determination of the teams on the field who have claimed not to stop until they are finished at a satisfactory level.

“We have to move forward on Abernathy,” Lee Beyer, member of ODOT and former legislator, said, “because we’re in the midst of construction we really don’t have an alternative there.” Thus boosting the credibility of the workers and the Department in the eyes of public appeal and self satisfaction.

Oregon City’s fifty-four year old Abernethy Bridge was showing its age. This means the conditions of the bridge were not up to modern standards and needed to be renovated to make sure it was safe for drivers and to keep the structural integrity intact. This will also prevent any accidents over the river and the redirection of the willamette current.

Evidently the bridge was structurally unsound with the subject of earthquake preparedness. When the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission advised and warned the public about the dangers of a chance of an upcoming earthquake in 2023 they checked the bridge and discovered the structural problems. These problems were previously unconsidered in the creation of the bridge and thus it was wholeheartedly not prepared or up to standards. This is part of the reason for the Interstate-205 plan.

Also ODOT has also given some project details about other modifications and changes to Interstate 205 as a whole. Such as sound walls and ramps leading on and off the interstate. This could decrease the amount of traffic due to the more availability of exits and allow individuals to reach their desired destination at a more appropriate time, as opposed to the current state of the roads. This will aid with navigation and the modern GPS systems which will hopefully reduce the redirections to unaffiliated local areas.

In addition to the modifications of the structure along the interstate ODOT will uphold federal law and continue to inspect safety of the bridges around. They shall check their work to be as thorough as possible and make sure all their work is up to standard regulations. As such they shall continue to inspect the roads and bridges every few years.

Kiewit Infrastructure West, the main contractor for the I-205 Improvement Plan, has assured the public that once Abernethy Bridge is finished through the summer it will be better and stronger than ever. They also made it known that the congestion problem on the interstate will be handled after the work on the Interstate 205 Plan is finished. Aftersuch they will continue under the guidance of ODOT through other well planned out projects such as this, for the betterment of transportation as a whole.

Another project that’s in the works is on the I-5. It’s Kuebler Blvd to Delaney Rd where they are adding a third road to modernize it. However this is only one such example for the projects ahead that everyone will be undertaking together.