|
|
 |
Interstate 5 Northbound: Multnomah County
Northbound Interstate 5's entire Multnomah County journey takes place inside Portland city limits. The freeway enters the county in southwest Portland, where hilly terrain makes for a twisty trip from exits 294 to 298. After Interstate 405 splits off to head downtown at exit 299B, I-5 crosses the Willamette River over the two-level Marquam Bridge and follows the east bank of the Willamette River where it heads through a jungle of overpasses and flyover ramps at the Interstate 84 and northern Interstate 405 interchanges. The river bends west, and I-5 continues a northbound trajectory through Portland neighborhoods to the Columbia River
|
A truck lane splits from the main flow of traffic just past exit 294. According to ODOT, the lane was added in 1983 to keep slow-moving trucks, which are heading up a moderate grade, to the right of a flyover ramp merging onto northbound I-5 from Oregon 99W. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
The ramp from Oregon 99W first joins with the truck lane, but trucks stay to the right and out of the way of ramp traffic. In this view, the lanes from Oregon 99W and the truck lane (far right) join the main flow of northbound traffic. Photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
Advance sign for exit 295, Taylors Ferry Road. Heading east, Taylors Ferry Road winds its way through the hills of southwest Portland, eventually ending up at Oregon 43 near the Willamette River. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Exit 295 is handled by two partial interchanges: the southern interchange allows southbound I-5 traffic to exit to Barbur Boulevard and Capitol Highway, and Barbur Boulevard traffic may access both directions of the freeway. In this view, a southbound entrance ramp at the southern portion of exit 295 is visible at the right. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Exit 295, Taylors Ferry Road. This northern "outpost" of exit 295 is really just an exit ramp to Taylors Ferry Road. No access to I-5 in either direction is provided for surface streets here. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Advance sign for exit 297, Terwilliger Boulevard. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
This sign mounted on the Spring Garden Street overpass warns of upcoming sharp curves. This twisty stretch of Interstate 5 is known locally as the "Terwilliger Curves. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
|
|
|
After taking exit 297, head north on Terwilliger Boulevard (left turn) for Oregon Health Sciences University. Head south for Lewis and Clark College. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Exit 297, Terwilliger Boulevard. The exit ramp leads to long collector/distributor lanes that absorb traffic from Multnomah Boulevard (flyover ramp pictured here). The lanes diverge, taking traffic either to Terwilliger Boulevard or back to I-5. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Another curves warning sign, this time with a "tipsy truck" graphic. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
More curves: the hilly terrain of southwest Portland is to blame. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
|
Heading out of the Terwilliger Curves, the tip of Portland's downtown skyline is just visible beyond the hill. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
One half mile south of the Exit 298 off-ramp to Corbett Avenue on Interstate 5 north. Corbett Avenue leads south to the Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill community and north to the Johns Landing neighborhood. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Like the northbound Exit 295, Exit 298 constitutes a "one quarter" interchange with a short ramp that exits from the northbound lanes and connects with a surface street, in this case Corbett Avenue. Again, no surface street access to I-5 is provided for either direction. Other signs on the sign bridge announce impending junctions with U.S. 26 and Interstate 405 at Exits 299A and 299B. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Entering the split-diamond interchange (Exit 299A) with Macadam Avenue, Ross Island Bridge, and the northern terminus of Oregon 43. The Ross Island bridge carries U.S. 26 across the Willamette River. Oregon 43 comprises a 11.60-mile route from Interstate 5 south to Oregon 99E in Oregon City. The split with Interstate 405 (Harbor Drive) follows at Exit 299B. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
A view of the exit 299A exit ramp. After exiting, head north on Macadam Avenue/ Oregon 43 and follow a maze-like route with multiple turns (don't say I didn't
warn you!) to the Ross Island Bridge/ U.S. 26 eastbound. The interchange website Where Roads Meet
has a description and good aerial view of the complicated approach to the Ross Island Bridge from exit 299A. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
This sign advises airport-bound travelers to keep right (and thus remain on Interstate 5). Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Just south of downtown, Interstate 405 branches off from Interstate 5 at this unusual directional T interchange. What's unusual is that, at least from the perspective of northbound I-5, the west side of the "T" is formed by I-405, but the east side is just the "continuation" of I-5. Technically, northbound I-5 doesn't exit off of itself, but it seems that way. Left lanes take the directional exit (exit 299B) and carry traffic along Interstate 405 northbound through downtown Portland. Take I-405 to junction with U.S. 26/ Sunset Highway westbound to Beaverton, Hillsboro, and the Oregon coast. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Keep right to stay on Interstate 5 and cross the Willamette River. Until 1974, Southwest Harbor Drive spurred north through the Riverplace neighborhood to toward the Steel Bridge along the Willamette Riverfront. The freeway was removed and converted into parkland at that time, leaving a short at-grade roadway north from Interstate 405 (Stadium Freeway) to Naito Parkway (former Oregon 99W). Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
The Portland skyline comes into partial view just after the split with I-405. Now just two lanes wide and rising quickly to the Marquam Bridge, northbound I-5 seems more like a wide ramp than a freeway. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Here's proof that the sun does shine in Portland. Unfortunately, the downtown skyline is somewhat obscured to northbound traffic. Photo taken 07/19/05. |
|
A view of the Marquam Bridge which carries I-5 across the Willamette River. Northbound traffic travels on the upper deck. Photo taken 07/19/05. |
|
Now on the top deck of the Marquam Bridge, motorists are greeted with this advance sign for exit 300, Interstate 84 eastbound. Lanes merging at right from southbound I-405 widen the freeway. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Take exit 300 for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) , which is announced on a tacked-on brown tab at the top of the sign bridge. After exiting, a separate ramp will branch from the main and exit to Water Avenue. Turn right on Water for OMSI. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
|
Portland is a city of bridges; the Willamette River divides the city into eastern and western sections. First photo taken 06/26/05. Second photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Exit 300 constitutes a lengthy distributor roadway from Interstate 5 onto Interstate 84 & U.S. 30 east from the Marquam Bridge. The Dalles is 84 miles away at the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. Interstate 5 in Portland is I-84's western terminus. The Fremont Bridge (I-405) is visible in the far background. The closer bridge is the Morrison Bridge. Photo taken 08/27/05. |
|
Still descending from the Marquam Bridge, the Rose Garden Arena is visible directly ahead. The black bridge at left is the Steel Bridge, which, according to portlandbridges.com, is one of the only examples of a dual lift bridge in the world. Finished in 1912, the bridge's lower deck can be lifted independently of the upper deck. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Once off the Marquam Bridge at milepost 301, northbound I-5 enters a labyrinth of overpasses and flyover ramps. Except for some auxiliary lanes, northbound traffic will now be squeezed into two lanes until just past the northern interchange with I-405. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
I-5 northbound passes under the knot of ramps taking traffic to and from the Morrison Bridge. There is no direct access to the bridge from northbound I-5; the ramps originate mostly from surface streets and the bridge itself. The Morrison Bridge connects west side Washington and Alder streets with east side Morrison and Belmont streets. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Directly in front in this view is the Burnside Bridge (Burnside Street is Portland's north-south divider arterial). To the left and right, you can see elevated lanes ferrying traffic to and from Interstate 84. Photo taken 07/19/05. |
|
The advance sign for exit 302A, Rose Quarter/ Broadway and Weidler Street is mounted on the Burnside Bridge. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Northbound I-5 passes under the flyover ramp bringing traffic from westbound I-84 to southbound I-5. The flyover just beyond does pretty much the opposite: it carries traffic from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-84. Photo taken 07/19/05. |
|
Take exit 302A for the Oregon Convention Center and Lloyd Center (a shopping mall). The ramp merging from westbound I-84 at right will briefly add an auxiliary lane. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Exit 302A: Rose Quarter/ Broadway and Weidler Street. Portland's Rose Quarter consists of the Rose Garden Arena (completed 1995), home of the Portland Trailblazers, and the older Memorial Coliseum. The Western Hockey League Portland Winterhawks split their home games between the two arenas. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Northbound shield assembly for Interstate 5 posted on the viaduct above Holladay and Multnomah Streets within the Lloyd District of Portland. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Advance sign for exit 302B, Interstate 405 southbound and U.S. 30 westbound. Visible at right is the auxiliary lane that will exit the freeway at exit 302A. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Exit 302A gore point sign and exit ramp. The exit leads to Weidler Street (one-way eastbound) and Broadway (one-way westbound). Turn right on Weidler for The Rose Quarter, Oregon Convention Center, and Lloyd Center. Turning left on Broadway takes you over the Broadway Bridge into northwest Portland. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Crossing the Fremont Bridge via southbound I-405 and exiting with westbound U.S. 30 leads to industrial areas in northwest Portland, as this sign indicates. Though there is still a fair amount of industry present, some areas of former light industrial and warehouse sites, such as the Pearl District , have been converted to high-density housing and artsy commercial developments. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Northbound I-5 passes under the Flint Avenue overpass as it approaches exit 302B. Sign at left announces the upcoming HOV lane. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
An entrance ramp merging from Williams Avenue will add an auxiliary lane which will quickly leave the freeway at exit 302C. Keep left to remain on I-5 northbound. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Exit 302C exits from within the Interstate 405 interchange to form the beginning of Greeley Avenue, a divided highway leading north to the Overlook neighborhood. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Northbound I-5 reaches exit 302B, Interstate 405 southbound and U.S. 30 westbound. I-405 southbound begins here and heads over the Fremont Bridge before taking its short loop through downtown. Westbound U.S. 30 exits from I-405 at the west end of the bridge and heads through the industrial district on Yeon Avenue, eventually turning northwest to follow the Columbia River. St. Helens is a small town on U.S. 30 north of Portland. Photo taken 09/02/06. |
|
Northbound Interstate 5 passes under its last tangle of flyover ramps, these ferrying traffic to and from the Fremont Bridge. Completed in 1973, the two-level Fremont Bridge is Portland's newest bridge across the Willamette River.
The Stadium Freeway continues northeast from Interstate 5 to Kerby Avenue at Gantenbein Avenue. Intended to continue northeast to the unconstructed Prescott Freeway as the Rose City Freeway, the freeway now provides local access to the Boise section of the city and Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard (former Oregon 99E). There is no access to the Stadium Freeway stub from Interstate 5; ramp stubs exist on both flyovers to Interstate 405 for unbuilt connections. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Having cleared the heart of the city, northbound I-5 begins its final Oregon stretch, heading through Portland's north side neighborhoods. Most of the freeway through this stretch is below grade. Early 1960s construction replaced Minnesota Avenue with the freeway. For a time Interstate 5 was referred to as the Minnesota Freeway. Photo taken 10/30/05. |
|
Travelers merge onto Interstate 5 north from Interstate 405 (Stadium Freeway) north at Albina in Portland. A trumpet interchange (Exit 303) follows with Going Street west to Interstate Avenue (former Oregon 99W) and Swan Island. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Interstate 5 lowers below the Boise and Humboldt street grid along the Minnesota Freeway northbound. A non-cutout shield lies beyond the Interstate 405 on-ramp. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Exit 303 provides connections to Interstate Avenue (former Oregon 99W) and Alberta Street via Missouri Avenue (northbound side frontage road). Interstate Avenue is several blocks to the west of the freeway where it runs a parallel course with I-5 through north Portland. The Interstate MAX light rail also travels down the center of Interstate Avenue. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
The HOV lane begins one quarter mile north of the Failing Street pedestrian bridge over Interstate 5. The lane is only restricted on weekdays during peak commute times. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
|
Exit 303 departs for Killingsworth Street / Swan Island. This two-lane exit ramp passes under the Skidmore Street overpass and then the lanes diverge. The left-hand lane forms westbound Going Street to Swan Island and Overlook; use the right lane to continue north toward Alberta and Killingsworth Streets. First photo taken 08/27/05. Second photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Exit 303 partitions into ramps for Going Street west and Missouri Avenue north. Killingsworth Street crosses Interstate 5 one half mile to the north by Portland Community College - Cascade Campus and the Humboldt neighborhood. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Going Street, which leads to the Swan Island Industrial Park, passes over Interstate 5. The HOV-2 lane commences and lasts through to Exit 307. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Traveling under the Alberta Street overpass on Interstate 5 north. Exit 304 provides a second access point to reach Portland Community College-Cascade. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
One quarter mile south of the Exit 304 diamond interchange with Rosa Parks Way (Portland Boulevard) at the Killingsworth Street over crossing. Rosa Parks Way joins the Arbor Lodge and Piedmont communities of north Portland. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Exits 305A/B follows Rosa Parks Way as a partial-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 30 Bypass (Lombard Street). U.S. 30 Bypass travels 14.76 miles east from U.S. 30 near Cathedral Park to the Gresham city line. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Exit 304, Rosa Parks Way, formerly Portland Boulevard. Despite the grand-sounding "boulevard" designation, it is actually a minor arterial street that runs east and west through residential neighborhoods in north Portland. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Northbound I-5 passes under the Portland Boulevard overpass. Portland International Airport may be reached by taking exit 305A, Lombard Street eastbound (U.S. 30 bypass). Eastbound Lombard Street becomes the Portland Highway, which eventually intersects with Oregon 213/ 82nd Avenue just south of the airport. Photo taken 01/18/05. |
|
The University of Portland may be reached by taking exit 305B, Lombard Street westbound. The array of services heralded by the blue portion of the sign refers to the string of commercial properties that line Lombard Street in this part of the city. Photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
Exit 305A, Lombard Street eastbound (US 30 bypass). Back in the days before the Banfield Freeway (I-80N/84 and U.S. 30), U.S. 30 followed two primary routes in Portland: the business route split from the bypass in Parkrose and followed Sandy Boulevard into the heart of the city where it crossed the Burnside Bridge into downtown. The bypass route followed Portland Highway/ Lombard Street along the northern shoulder of Portland, crossing the Willamette over the beautiful St. Johns Bridge. The two branches rejoined at the western end of the St. Johns Bridge. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Exit 305B, Lombard Street westbound. Lombard is the primary east-west arterial surface street in north Portland. Heading west leads to the St. Johns Bridge via Philadelphia Avenue, or you may continue on Lombard to reach Kelley Point Park, located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
By the time it reaches exit 306A (Columbia Boulevard) I-5 has risen above grade. This overhead sign is actually posted just past the point where the freeway crosses over Columbia Boulevard: the exit ramp does a 180 and ends up heading south, terminating at its destination. Columbia Boulevard travels through mostly commercial/ light industrial areas situated south of the Columbia River and its route isn't the least bit scenic. Photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
Advance sign for exit 307, Delta Park/ Marine Drive. Oregon 99E is Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, though the street is not mentioned on the sign. Marine Drive more or less follows the south bank of the Columbia River from north Portland eastward to Troutdale. Photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
Exit 306B, Expo Center. Turn left at the bottom of the exit ramp (Victory Boulevard) for the Portland Metro Expo Center. Turn right (Whitaker Road) for the Portland Meadows Golf Course and Race Track. "Rivergate T-6" (left hand sign) translates as the Port of Portland's Rivergate Industrial Park Terminal 6. Photo taken 01/08/05. |
|
Exit 307, Oregon 99E, Delta Park and Marine Drive. After exiting, traffic is routed down a long distributor lane. The far left lane of northbound I-5 lane will lose its HOV designation just after exit 307. Photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
|
The distributor lane from exit 307 is visible at right in the first image. The lane splits and gives motorists a choice for Marine Drive westbound and MLK Jr. Boulevard (Oregon 99E) or Marine Drive eastbound/ Delta Park. Second photo shows the same sign bridge 10 months later. Notice that a drawbridge warning sign replaced the digital sign in the first image. The digital sign was originally in place to alert motorists of bridge maintenance that took place earlier in 2005. First photo taken 01/08/05. Second photo taken 11/19/05. |
|
A loop ramp joins Oregon 120 (Marine Drive) east and Oregon 99W (Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) north with Interstate 5 north ahead of North Portland Harbor and Hayden Island. Motorists are advised of the Interstate Bridge draw span on the ramp. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Interstate 5 crosses North Portland Harbor and nears the folded-diamond interchange with Hayden Island Drive (Exit 308). Tomahawk Island Drive stems east from the exit to the marinas on Tomahawk Island while Hayden Island Drive travels west to the undeveloped portion of the island. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Hayden Island is home to the Jantzen Beach Supercenter. Despite "beach" in the name, this facility is not a recreational area and instead boasts a shopping mall, strip malls, and other commercial properties. Oregon has no sales tax, so parking lots are filled with cars bearing Washington plates. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches its final Oregon exit, Exit 308 to Jantzen Beach. Commercial properties line both sides of Interstate 5 as northbound motorists prepare to cross the Columbia River into the Evergreen State. Mileage for leading western Washington cities- Olympia, Tacoma, and Seattle- is now posted. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Approaching the Interstate Bridge, a sign thanks motorists for visiting Oregon. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Though still in Oregon, these signs announcing Vancouver exits are clearly of WS-DOT origin. Notice the lack of a separate exit number tab on the sign at right- typical format for Washington freeway signs. Interstate 5 now crosses the Interstate Bridge into Washington. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
|
|
The Interstate Bridge is very old and in need of replacement. The oldest span (these views) dates to 1917, while the "newer" southbound span, built to match it, dates to 1958. Both spans are drawbridges. Prior to the construction of I-5, The 1917 span carried the Pacific Highway (later U.S. 99) across the Columbia. Before that, a ferry handled the job of connecting Portland with Vancouver. First photo taken 08/27/06. Second photo taken 08/27/06. Third photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
This set of signs mounted on the Oregon side of the Interstate Bridge announces the first Washington State exits: Exit 1A for Washington 14 eastbound to Camas and Exit 1B, Vancouver city center (6th Street). Once across the bridge, Interstate 5 will enter the city of Vancouver, pop. 143,560 (2000). Photo taken 08/27/06. |
|
Northbound Interstate 5 enters Washington and the city of Vancouver. Photo taken 08/27/06. |
Photo Credits:
2005-01-08 by Matt Strieby. 2005-01-18 by Matt Strieby. 2005-06-26 by Matt Strieby. 2005-07-19 by Matt Strieby. 2005-08-27 by AARoads. 2005-10-30 by Matt Strieby. 2005-11-19 by Matt Strieby. 2006-08-27 by AARoads. 2006-09-02 by AARoads.
Connect with:
Interstate 84 - Oregon
Interstate 405
U.S. Highway 26
Page Updated 11-29-2010. |
|
 |
|
