New project scope in response to delay in toll collection means ODOT and FHWA will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Assessment
For Immediate Release: July 24, 2023
Contact: Anna Howe, 503-877-7101
PORTLAND - Governor Kotek directed ODOT to delay the collection of tolls until 2026 in response to concerns from legislators and Clackamas County residents regarding equity and possible diversion of drivers onto local streets. In June, ODOT notified the public that the delay meant the agency would need to manage available funding more conservatively and reduce the scope of the planned improvements to I-205, including indefinitely postponing the second phase of construction.
The I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment analyzed the effects of adding a missing third lane, making seismic upgrades to a total of nine bridges from Stafford Road to OR 213, and applying a toll at both the Abernethy and Tualatin River bridges to help pay for the project. Because the scope of the project has changed significantly, ODOT and FHWA will move forward with preparing a Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the I-205 Toll Project.
Many of the comments we received during the public comment period of the I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment this spring conveyed concerns from the surrounding communities about the impact of tolls to residents and the economy. The postponement allows us to engage more with the community to ensure this toll program is designed to increase equity and minimize diversion. The indefinite postponement of the second phase of construction also allows us to remove the toll gantries at the Tualatin River Bridge from the project and lower the total toll cost of traveling the corridor.
Construction on the Abernethy Bridge is well underway and will continue, scheduled for completion in 2025. When completed, the Abernethy Bridge will be the first earthquake ready interstate structure across the Willamette River in Portland. A bridge toll is anticipated to begin in 2026 to help repay a portion of the costs of the bridge, pending required environmental review and federal approval. The remainder of the cost of the Abernethy Bridge project will be covered with transportation revenues collected statewide.
As a result of these changes (not collecting a toll at the Tualatin Bridge and not adding a third lane), the project has been reduced in scope from the one presented to the community for public comment. To analyze the effects of these changes, ODOT and FHWA will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the I-205 Toll Project. The Supplemental Environmental Assessment will analyze the effects of project changes on the transportation system, local communities, the economy, and the natural environment, and consideration of potential solutions to address negative effects. This Supplemental Environmental Assessment will be released for public comment in the coming months.
Additional details regarding next steps, including timing, are still being determined in collaboration with FHWA.
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