Interstate 205 (Oregon-Washington)

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Interstate 205 (abbreviated I-205) is a loop route that serves the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. I-205 is officially the War Veterans Memorial Freeway and was formerly known as the East Portland Freeway in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. I-205 loops east of downtown Portland and Vancouver, thus serving as a bypass route. I-205 is one of the small number of three-digit interstates to cross over into another state. The northern terminus begins north of Vancouver in the suburb of Salmon Creek. The southern terminus is near the Portland suburb of Tualatin.

Interstate 205 is the Interstate that provides access to Portland International Airport (PDX).

Construction of I-205 included a graded but unfinished transitway between SE Foster Rd. and NE Columbia Blvd. The section between NE Columbia Blvd. and the I-205/I-84 junction became part of the MAX Red Line, and the section from E Burnside St. to SE Foster Rd. will be used as part of the future route for the next MAX Light Rail route, the Green Line. The short portion between these sections was used by the first rail line, now the Blue Line.

In addition to I-5, I-205 intersects Interstate 84, U.S. Route 26, U.S. Route 30 (the main route, as well as Business Loop and By-pass route), Oregon State Route 43, Oregon State Route 99E, Oregon State Route 212, Oregon State Route 213, Oregon State Route 224, Washington State Route 14, and Washington State Route 500.

[edit] Route description

Legally, the portion of I-205 north of the Columbia River is described in Washington Revised Code § 47.17.400.[1] This code states, "Beginning at the Washington-Oregon boundary line in the vicinity east of Vancouver, thence northwesterly to a junction with state route number 5 in the vicinity of Salmon Creek, north of Vancouver."

[edit] Future

Because of tremendous growth in the Portland metropolitan area and the suburb of Vancouver, the WSDOT and ODOT are currently planning improvements on I-205 to improve traffic flow between the two states. In Vancouver, the WSDOT and Clark County's Regional Transportation Commission are planning several new ramps to new arterials, grade-separating existing ramps with new ramps, and additional lanes. In Portland, the ODOT is beginning to plan improvements, but no details have been released yet. Another solution being floated around is a light rail line serving most or all the entire I-205 corridor, though the plan is being met with opposition from Clark County residents.

[edit] Exit list