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Work to close I-205 ramp to Mill Plain

New mile-long offramp aims to ease congestion

By Dameon Pesanti, Columbian staff writer
Published: June 8, 2016, 6:00am
2 Photos
Work takes place on a new off-ramp connecting southbound Interstate 205 with Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver. The existing off-ramp will be permanently closed at midnight Friday, and construction crews will open the new ramp at 9 a.m.
Work takes place on a new off-ramp connecting southbound Interstate 205 with Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver. The existing off-ramp will be permanently closed at midnight Friday, and construction crews will open the new ramp at 9 a.m. Saturday morning (Natalie Behring/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

Starting at 5 a.m. Saturday, drivers planning to exit southbound Interstate 205 onto Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard will have to look for their exit much earlier than before.

Washington Department of Transportation spokeswoman Tamara Greenwell said that construction crews will close the current off- ramp location of I-205 Friday night and open a new ramp about a mile up the freeway Saturday morning.

Workers with Cascade Bridge are scheduled to close two lanes of southbound I-205 between state Highway 500 and Highway 14 from 9 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday to do the work. Access to Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard will be unavailable from midnight Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday.

The new offramp is just under a mile long, and it is separated from freeway traffic by a concrete barrier. If drivers miss the new Mill Plain Boulevard ramp, they won’t be able to turn around until the Lieser Road exit on westbound state Highway 14.

People relying on GPS navigation systems while traveling through the area should be especially mindful, because it’s likely going to take some time before the software catches up with the roadway changes, WSDOT officials say.

“Not all navigation systems will be updated immediately with the new offramp configuration, so drivers should keep an eye out for the new highway exit signs,” said WSDOT project engineer Lori Figone.

WSDOT officials say the new longer offramp will ease congestion on I-205 by limiting weaving and lane backups that occur at the exit during peak traffic hours. WSDOT estimates more than 15,000 drivers use the current offramp every day.

“A lot of congestion is caused by the queue being too short,” Greenwell said.

The offramp change is one part of the $40.6 million project that will connect I-205 and 18th Street with a “half-diamond” interchange with ramps to the south of 18th Street.

The 18th street on- and offramps on both the southbound and northbound of the interstate will be finished later this summer.

After about 10 years of planning and construction, the project is expected to be completed this year.

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Columbian staff writer