Washington State I‑5 Ramp Closure Spurs Traffic Delays in Vancouver and Portland

A Washington State Department of Transportation contractor will fully close the southbound I‑5 ramp to I‑205 at Exit 7 in Vancouver, WA, from 10 p.m. on July 31 until 10 a.m. on August 2. The closure is intended to allow lane striping, sign installation and guard‑rail work, with a reduced nighttime speed limit of 55 mph on the adjacent I‑5 corridor. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes and may experience delays, though a queue‑warning system will be deployed to improve safety.

Separately, a report from the Cascade Policy Institute highlights Portland’s long‑standing “war on cars,” noting that since the 1982 decision to halt new freeways, commuter traffic congestion has tripled, fuel waste has sextupled, and greenhouse‑gas emissions have risen sharply. Despite extensive investment in rail, bus and bike infrastructure, driving rates have continued to increase, and transit ridership per resident has fallen.