‘Not OK’: West Linn Mayor says he is ‘extremely concerned’ by I-205 exit closure

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Hate the traffic on I-205 lately? So does the Mayor of West Linn.

In a letter to the Oregon Department of Transportation, Mayor Rory Bialostosky requested immediate relief for the daily traffic caused by a recent closure of the I-205 northbound on-ramp from southbound Highway 43.

The construction that caused Bialostosky’s complaint is currently scheduled through June 26, but immediately caused concerns for local drivers when the detour through Exit 6 stretched traffic on the road.

In his letter, Bialostosky said the detour is “not working.”

“Residents have been unable to get to appointments and have been delayed returning home, commute times have been dramatically increased, and our youth have been unable to get to recreational activities and practices,” he wrote. “In the event of an emergency, I am extremely concerned that response times from our emergency service providers will be delayed. This is not OK.”

He said he supports the efforts ODOT has made to improve the exit, but he thinks better planning is necessary.

“Residents have been reaching out to the city, but as you know, the city does not have authority over the impacted streets under ODOT’s jurisdiction,” he said. “I believe that this instance shows the precarious nature of our local street system when ODOT takes actions that West Linn has no control over.”

Residents can contact ODOT themselves by calling 1-888-ASK-ODOT or filling out an online form .

Residents can also call the non-emergency dispatch line for traffic violations: (503) 635-0238.

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