Mercury ran an article in June 2012 titled "The $400 Million Lane" about this freeway widening scam. At the time, ODOT was busy with their "horribly engineered" CRC I-5 Bridge replacement. ODOT continues to demonstrate gross incompetence with "horribly engineered" projects such as widening Hwy 99W to install a MAX line, a Metro proposal, but Metro's Lynn Peterson and current ODOT director Kris Strickler were both involved in the CRC incompetence and coverup. Widening I-5 through the Rose Quarter is another example of criminal negligence, beyond mere incompetence. If widened as proposed, the accident rate and accident severity rate will worsen.

Imagine driving a car entering I-5 on the new southbound entrance ramp from Weidler. The ramp is downhill instead of the existing 'level' entrance ramp. You can see traffic below and you can gain speed more quickly. It's a safer entrance. Similarly imagine the northbound entrance. With the new Hancock overpass plus caps, drivers cannot see the traffic conditions below. Moreover, in both directions, a wider freeway will increase average speeds where entering traffic must merge left while traffic on I-5 must merge right to access I-405 and I-84. In other words, accident rate and accident severity will worsen.

Simple caps can make pedestrian access safer and more pleasant, but apartment block development should be avoided. The Hancock overpass is not a good idea. Drivers exiting I-5 southbound (at faster speeds) must enter a tunnel blindly. An overpass from Tillamook to Gantenbein to Dixon (or directly to the PPS site) should be considered while ODOT again tries to cover up their incompetence and/or criminal negligence.

Congratulations Portland voters for wisely rejecting the MAX light rail on Barbur Blvd.
The proposal was a horribly engineered crime and coverup of national proportions. Its studies were 'rigged' to pre-determined outcomes that favor apartment block development which the landlord class, flush with Trump tax cut cash, prefer.

ODOT lies.

Look folks, I have reported this mounting evidence to the state and local agencies. They refuse to answer these basic engineering concerns. I have threatened lawsuit but find no lawyer worth their salt or progressive credentials. Here's my lasted design alternative concept:

[Repair the Ramps] The safety problem is largely the 'cross-merge' entrance ramps forced quickly at a widely predicted higher speed and more traffic too soon entering to be (considered safer?) than the current arrangement. (Repair the Ramps) Exit as well as the more serious entrance ramps need rebuilding also more so than widening. "Repair the Ramps"

(NIX the Hancock Overpass) For the same reason, entrance and exits are almost "intentionally" made less less safe with any overhead structure. The new southbound entrance is indeed safer, for traffic, pedestrian crosswalk and bicycle arrangements. Southbound entrance has ZERO overhead structure obstructing the driver's view. MOREOVER, the Southbound EXIT traffic at high speed enters a short TUNNEL and an open sky ramp, potential blinding of view at high speed. ODOT IS LLYINNG. explicative explicative

[Overpass Alternate at Tillamook] From Flint overpass to Gantenbein, curve south Dixon. This alternate overpass would be more neighborly with much less traffic. Oregon has a legacy of good bridge design to uphold. Current ODOT director Strickler was awarded another appointment for the successful "cover-up" of what went wrong with the CRC its 2009-2013 years. Peterson at Metro alongside, both Washington DOT jobs. They deny clear evidence that MAX on Hwy 99W (odot domain) was such terrible engineering! Offensive! Destructive demolition and the felling miles of forest canopy replaced tall lengthy concrete buttress walls, asphalt and worse speeding traffic. Peterson and Strickler and Wheeler all have to go. Doug Kelsey flew the coup but he too is complicit in "criminal violation" of duties as officeholders.
Heads should roll, figuratively speaking.