Commute to get quicker to I-5 interchange in Tualatin

TUALATIN, Ore. (KPTV) - The city of Tualatin is hoping to improve traffic flow to I-5 with changes being made this summer.

Zane Bliss, who works in the city, said an improvement has been needed.

“Most of the time I (work) at night,” Bliss said. “I won’t see (heavy traffic) a whole lot but it will be nice when I have to do dayshift to not be stuck on the highway so long.”

Bliss said the plans should improve his drive times. He said the area around the I-5 interchange has been a problem going back at least five years.

“It would be like three times your time to just get in this area right here,” he said.

The project will work to reduce those times by adding a third lane eastbound for another block on Tualatin-Sherwood Road to I-5. Traffic often gets backed up quickly there, something Lana Finley has experienced.

“Right now, I don’t even schedule appointments that take me down the street because it’s so busy especially after (3 p.m.),” Finley said.

The work adds new signage to improve the flow to I-5. It adds new bike lanes and signs to direct bikers to use the Tualatin River Greenway.

“If you’re on a bike or you’re running, the last thing that you want to do is stop,” Finley said. “This is a beautiful path.”

While Bliss said he’s happy with the improvements, he would still like to see more done. Driving to work from Gresham, he sees many areas that could be updated.

“(I-5) needs to be updated, the bridge needs to be updated,” Bliss said. “It’s a congested mess and public transit’s not a solution right now. Maybe it will be in the future.

The work in Tualatin uses funding from a $20 million dollar bond passed by voters in 2018. It is expected to be completed in October. More information can be found here.

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