The South Portland Neighborhood Association (SPNA) recently met with an ODOT representative who explained that they are in the early stages of developing a plan for tolling areas of I-5 and 205 as shown on the map. The current plan is to have a rolling price, more expensive tolls at higher use times. The idea is that doing so will reduce highway congestion.
One of many concerns, is that ODOT’s plan will push more traffic to already overburdened neighborhood streets. In South Portland, for example, at the Ross Island Bridgehead where Powell (26) and SW Kelly meet, the poor design of this area already results in a nearly one mile back up on SW Corbett Ave almost every work day.
Deputy Fire Chief Don Russ explained that his smaller fire trucks are able to maneuver well enough to get to fires in South Portland, but the poor design already makes it harder for his crews to arrive at the fire scenes within 5 minutes, which is the standing goal.
The final decision will be made by the OTC, which plans to make a recommendation to the Federal Highway Administration by Dec. 31. The FHA will have final approval of any tolling plans.
ODOT: Interstate 105 Bridge Preservation Project Update
Interstate 105 (Washington/Jefferson Street Bridge) bridge repair project
How we get where we need to go is a key part of everyone’s lives.
Getting information to everyone about changes that may affect them can be hard. While we’ve talked to many community members about this project and its impacts, many didn’t hear about it. We apologize. Please help spread the word and share this and future updates.
TollGuru
Are you curious what tolls Oregon currently has in place? TollGuru is a great resource for planning your trip. You can calculate tolls or plan a route to avoid them altogether.
Yes there is an app for that!
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