Photo courtesy of ODOT
(VANCOUVER) As the summer travel season gets underway, there could be a few delays if you plan to drive across the Columbia River into Oregon.
The Columbia River underneath the I-5 Interstate Bridge is usually about 6-7 feet deep.
Today, it’s 15 feet deep due to recent rains that have swollen the waterway.
The difference of 7-8 feet higher means more boats will have a harder time clearing the stationary high rise on the bridge…so boats are being diverted to the portion that rises. And every time the bridge goes up, hundreds of cars back-up in both directions.
Transportation officials are warning the river will remain high all week, which means there will be many more bridge openings than normal.
Your best bet: If you’re driving south into Oregon, exit onto I-205 just north of Vancouver, and use the stationary Glenn Jackson Bridge into the Beaver State.
