I-205 Toll Project moves forward
Revenue from the I-205 Toll Project is needed to complete the I-205 Improvements Project.
The I-205 Improvements Project will begin construction in mid-2022 to make the Abernethy Bridge the first earthquake-ready highway bridge across the Willamette River.
The I-205 Improvements Project will be constructed in phases. These initial improvements, called Phase 1A, will use financing tools recently approved by the Oregon Legislature.
Toll revenue is needed to construct future phases of the I-205 Improvements Project and could be used to pay back funds borrowed for the Abernethy Bridge. This decision depends on completing the required environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
When fully constructed, the I-205 Improvements Project will address the bottleneck caused by the last remaining two-lane section of I-205. The project will reduce crashes and daily congestion by more than four and a half hours each day by adding a third lane in each direction with shoulders that could accommodate buses.
![If the toll alternative is selected, potential toll gantries would charge tolls at two locations: the Abernethy Bridge and the Tualatin River Bridge.](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/ORDOT/2021/08/4869901/map_original.jpg) If the toll alternative is selected, potential toll gantries would charge tolls at two locations: the Abernethy Bridge and the Tualatin River Bridge.
The I-205 Toll Project under study would toll vehicles crossing the Abernethy and Tualatin River bridges. The earliest tolls could begin is in 2024.
Without tolls and future roadway upgrades, the almost seven hours of daily congestion and safety risks will continue to grow as more people use the highway. Without action, diversion to local streets will also increase when I-205 has more stop-and-go traffic.
Continue to talk with us.
We have worked with the I-205 community since 2017 and received strong support to construct project improvements. Statewide, we’ve heard the need to remove this bottleneck.
We know people have concerns with tolls and we are working to create a system that works for all the region’s travelers. Over the next year, ODOT will complete the required federal environmental analysis for the I-205 Toll Project and determine how a new toll system can be implemented equitably. We will host discussions in the coming months to share findings from the environmental review. Before final decisions are made, we will also host a listening session on the I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment and gather verbal comments.
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