WEST LINN, Ore. — Two southbound lanes of Interstate 205 will be closed across the Abernethy Bridge between Oregon City and West Linn for 16 hours this weekend, from 8 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said the closure will give crews space to pour concrete for a new in-water drilled shaft that will improve safety and seismic resiliency for the Abernethy Bridge.
The left lane of southbound I-205 will remain open through the weekend, but ODOT warned that drivers should expect delays. Northbound I-205 will not be impacted.
In addition to the lane closures, the onramp to I-205 southbound from Highway 99-E and the I-205 southbound offramp to OR-43 will be fully closed. Drivers should follow the posted detour routes. The other onramps and offramps on either side of the Abernethy Bridge will remain open.
The construction work is part of phase one of the I-205 improvements project, which ODOT says will eventually cut down on congestion, improve travel times, reduce crashes and add the region's first earthquake-resilient freeway bridge over the Willamette River.
The improvement project will also add an additional travel lane in each direction on the bridge, plus other improvements along the surrounding seven miles of the I-205 corridor such as new sound walls and overhead information signs. Part of the funding will come from the addition of tolls along I-205.
Here's a time-lapse showing some of the work that's already be done around the bridge, courtesy ODOT: