The Interstate 5 bridge from the Washington side as seen April 2018.
Plans for Oregon to toll portions of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 in the Portland metro area are off to the feds as the Oregon Transportation Commission unanimously approved their plan last week.
The five-member commission agreed during their meeting in Salem Dec. 6 to send the plan to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for consideration. The decision is a culmination of more than a year of work by a few entities following the 2017 approval of a $5.3 billion transportation funding package by the Oregon Legislature.
The plan would put tolls on all lanes of I-5 roughly between North Going Street and Southwest Multnomah Boulevard, as well as all lanes of I-205 on or near the Abernethy Bridge, according to the submitted information. Not found in the submittal was a past consideration to eventually look at tolling the entirety of both interstates from the Washington/Oregon border to the southern intersection of both roadways.
Though much of the project has been in Oregon’s hands, Southwest Washington did have limited input during the planning process. The policy advisory committee that came up with possible tolling options included Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Clark County Councilor Eileen Quiring and WSDOT Southwest Regional Administrator Kris Strickler — three members in the 25-strong group.
Tolls wouldn’t be immediate as the submitted plan shows implementation in 2024.
Along with tolls, the plan indicates a few other projects designed for congestion relief. Chiefly, the widening and reconstruction of I-205 between Oregon Route 99 East and Stafford Road and operational and safety improvements on I-5 near the Rose Quarter. Toll revenue would help fund those projects.
Vocal toll opponent U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, was quick to decry the commission’s approval to send off the plan. She said in a statement that revenue could be collected “without any political recourse from Southwest Washington residents who have no vote in the matter,” which was why there wasn’t any analysis of improving infrastructure those residents use.
“My job is to give Southwest Washington residents a say, and I’ll continue to oppose any plan that treats them unfairly,” Herrera Beutler said in the statement. She added that the “region’s number one infrastructure priority” had to be improving the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River to allow for better car and freight transportation.
