Stafford Road reopened fully on Oct. 1 with a new roundabout at Childs Road. The I-205 Abernethy Bridge was supposed to wrap up this same month. It didn't. In September, ODOT told West Linn City Council the bridge would be done as early as May 2027, or at least by the end of 2027.
That leaves West Linn drivers with one project that's finished and one with its biggest step still ahead. ODOT calls that step the bridge "translation." It's the only part of the job where the closure plan allows I-205 to shut down for a whole weekend in one direction, and as of ODOT's Oct. 2 update, neither weekend had a date.
What Stafford Road Looks Like Now
The Stafford work was a Clackamas County project done with the City of Lake Oswego. Crews worked from April 2025 through September 2026, with several road closures along the way. It cost $18.6 million, and $11.2 million of that came from the county's Community Road Fund. Since 2019, that fund has been paid for by local vehicle registration fees.
If you drive Stafford toward Rosemont Road, here's what changed:
- Childs Road: a roundabout replaced the old stop sign.
- Johnson Road: the road was realigned to remove the old skewed angle and steep slopes, so northbound drivers can see farther. One turn that caused traffic conflicts is now restricted.
- New turn lane: there's now a southbound left-turn lane at Johnson Road.
- Bike lanes: Stafford was widened between Pattulo Way and Rosemont Road to add bike lanes. The county says they connect riders to parks in West Linn and Lake Oswego.
- Culvert: the Pecan Creek culvert at Childs Road was replaced with a larger one that fish can pass through.
At the Sept. 30 ribbon-cutting, Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas said the Johnson Road change makes the intersection safer "by removing the skew for better sight distance for people traveling northbound." Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck called the project "a powerful partnership" between the county and his city.
The Stafford project took about 18 months, from start to ribbon-cutting. Set that next to the bridge, which is now in its fifth year.
Why the Abernethy Finish Date Moved
Work on the I-205 widening and earthquake retrofit started in 2022, with an original finish of October 2026. ODOT's own documents give different end dates. The September update to council said as early as May 2027. A presentation to the Oregon Transportation Commission on Aug. 13, 2026 listed the risk of further delay as "Likely Aug/Sept to Dec 2027." ODOT's traffic-management checklist for the project says "End Fall 2027." So the realistic range is spring to winter of next year.
The August presentation names the problems:
- Steel fabrication is behind the original schedule.
- Fitting the bridge's sole plates is slow with the contractor's methods.
- The contractor still needs to make progress buying materials for the main expansion joint at Pier 6.
- The bridge translation hasn't happened yet. Its engineering is approved and ODOT is monitoring progress.
- Seasonal limits on water-line shutoffs and in-river work restrict when some jobs can be done.
The cost has grown too. The current funding authorization is $672 million. An Aug. 5 memo to the commission proposes raising construction funding to $697 million. Back in 2024, ODOT estimated the total at $700 million to $800 million.
When it's done, the project will include an auxiliary lane from OR 43 to OR 213 and combined OR 43 ramps. ODOT says the Abernethy will be the Portland area's first state highway bridge over the Willamette built to withstand a major earthquake. A larger Phase 2 of I-205 work is on hold for lack of funding since tolling was paused.
The Weekend the Bridge Moves Sideways
To make room for the new lanes, crews widen the outside edges of the bridge, slide one direction's deck sideways, then slide the other. After that, they build toward the center to join the two decks. ODOT's schedule puts the finished widened decks and the slide between fall 2026 and spring 2027. Deck pours for the added lanes come after the slide. The main bridge joint, paving and cleanup follow from spring 2027 into fall or winter 2027.
On most days, ODOT keeps two I-205 lanes open in each direction during weekday business hours. The slide is different. ODOT's closure plan allows one full weekend closure in each direction:
| Direction | Section closed | Window | Passenger cars | Trucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northbound | OR 43 to OR 99E | Friday 10 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m. | Exit at OR 43, cross the Oregon City Arch Bridge to OR 99E, rejoin I-205 north | I-5 north, I-84 east, I-205 south |
| Southbound | OR 99E to OR 43 | Friday 10 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m. | I-84 west, I-5 south, I-205 north | Same regional detour |
Trucks can't use the northbound car detour because of weight limits on the Arch Bridge. The southbound closure sends everyone, cars included, on the long loop through Portland. The same plan pairs a four-day closure of the northbound Exit 9 off-ramp to OR 99E with the northbound slide weekend. It also allows up to eight overnight full closures in each direction for the deck pours that follow, running from 11 p.m. into the early morning.
There's already a sign that crews are getting ready. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 2, ODOT closed the northbound I-205 off-ramp to OR 99E around the clock. The goal was to rebuild it "so it will align with I-205 in the next stage of construction," with a detour north to Exit 11 at 82nd Drive and back south. As of Oct. 4, TripCheck still showed the Exit 9 ramp closed, with an estimated reopening of Oct. 17.
Until Then, the Work Happens at Night
Night closures are scheduled this week. ODOT's Oct. 2 update lists:
- I-205: one lane closed in each direction Monday, Oct. 5 through Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Friday, Oct. 9, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- OR 43: one lane closed in each direction Oct. 5 through Oct. 9, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- OR 43 northbound on-ramp to I-205: closed nightly Oct. 5 through Oct. 9, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
TripCheck also lists intermittent night closures of the southbound Exit 8 off-ramp to OR 43, Monday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., with an estimated end of Oct. 25. ODOT's detour for that ramp sends drivers on to Exit 6 at 10th Avenue and back north to OR 43.
ODOT explains why the timing works this way:
"To minimize the impact to the 130,000 users of I-205 and to prevent diversion of traffic into neighborhood streets, those lane closures can only occur at night between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Work that requires lane closures, like some areas of deck demolition and girder installation activities, can only be done between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. We try to minimize noise after midnight, but some loud activities necessarily occur at night."
On Grove Street, the Bridge Is Next Door
Most of West Linn notices this project as a detour sign. In the Bolton area, around Grove Street and the historic McLean House, it's right next to people's homes. The local paper describes the street as Oregon's first proper cul-de-sac, built about a century ago for workers at the Willamette Falls Paper Company and Oregon Iron & Steel. The Abernethy Bridge has stood over it since 1970.
Neighbors told You Oregon News that construction noise has sometimes gone past 2:30 a.m. "It's like a constant earthquake," said one resident. Another neighbor said, "I think the larger community in West Linn doesn't have any idea how close the work actually is." One neighbor moved to the area in 2018. Separately, the paper reports that ODOT has since removed trees to make room for a new off-ramp and construction equipment. Neighbors also report cracks in ceilings and a pool foundation, and failing chimneys. They believe vibration from the work caused the damage. ODOT has called this one of its hardest projects in recent memory, because the bridge is more than 50 years old and has to stay open throughout.
For Grove Street neighbors, a later finish date means more nights of work. For drivers across the rest of town, it means the two slide weekends and the overnight deck pours land sometime this winter or spring instead of being over by now.
Where the Date Will Show Up First
ODOT posts closure schedules at i205corridor.org/updates, and the Oct. 2 update covers work only through Oct. 9. TripCheck lists current ramp closures and estimated end dates, including the Oct. 17 and Oct. 25 dates above. When ODOT sets a Friday for the northbound slide, plan for the Arch Bridge detour. When it sets the southbound one, plan for the trip through Portland.
If you're thinking about selling a West Linn home near Exit 8 or Grove Street, or buying one there before the bridge is finished, timing and disclosure questions around this project are worth sorting out early. Lisa Hanna has been a Principal Broker for more than 33 years and can go over how the construction calendar fits your plans. Schedule a free consultation.
