ODOT's contract completion date for the Abernethy Bridge was Oct. 21, 2026. That date passed three weeks ago. ODOT's latest quarterly report to the state now expects completion in winter 2027. At a September work session, ODOT told the West Linn City Council the finish could come as early as May 2027 or as late as the end of 2027, West Linn Tidings reported. In an August request to the Oregon Transportation Commission, ODOT said the contractor's schedule showed a finish as late as December 2027.
Whichever date it turns out to be, a lot of buyers comparing West Linn with Lake Oswego or Tigard are treating the bridge's completion as the end of the I-205 story. It won't be. The freeway through West Linn is staying the size it is today, and the reason comes down to who was supposed to pay for the extra lanes.
Two projects with one name
"The I-205 project" actually covers two separate projects. Only one of them has a construction crew.
| Phase 1A: Abernethy Bridge | Phase 2: OR 43 to Stafford Road | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Seismic replacement and widening of the bridge between West Linn and Oregon City | 6.3 miles of I-205 widened from four lanes to six, plus four bridges retrofitted and widened, six mainline bridges and two overcrossings replaced, and two soundwalls |
| Status | Under construction since 2022; 78% complete as of ODOT's June 2026 report | Paused since 2022; about 60% designed |
| Cost | Construction authorization raised from $672 million to $697 million in Q3 2026 | Estimated at more than $500 million |
| Timing | Winter 2027, per ODOT's Q3 2026 report | No construction date |
The lanes that would change a daily drive through West Linn are in the right-hand column. For Phase 2, ODOT's Q3 2026 Major Projects report lists "no new design activity" and "no new developments," with financials and risks unchanged. The Q2 report from June used nearly the same words.
The extra lanes were going to be paid for with tolls
ODOT's reports give one reason Phase 2 is stalled. It has been on pause since 2022 "due to lack of funding post indefinite pause on tolling."
The plan relied on drivers paying to use the road, and that revenue went away. The governor paused tolling plans for I-5 and I-205 in the Portland area in March 2024. In September 2025 the Legislature passed HB 3991, which raised the gas tax and vehicle fees, required electric and hybrid drivers to enroll in the OReGo per-mile charging program, and repealed the statute that required tolling for some highway projects, OPB reported. OPB also reported disagreement over whether tolling remains possible under other authority.
So the money that was supposed to build the third lanes through West Linn is gone, and the new transportation package didn't assign a replacement to this stretch. A Phase 2 that is 60% designed with no money behind it is a plan on a shelf. Nothing in ODOT's 2026 reporting gives a date when it comes off.
What the state built instead is a shoulder for SMART buses
The one change the state has delivered between Stafford Road and OR 43 is paint and signs. ODOT and South Metro Area Regional Transit finished a Bus on Shoulder project in January 2026, after starting construction in September 2025. It runs about five miles in each direction of I-205 between Stafford Road and OR 43, which is the same stretch Phase 2 would have widened.
The rules are narrow. According to ODOT's Bus on Shoulder project page, SMART buses can merge onto the shoulder when traffic drops below 35 mph and can travel up to 15 mph faster than the cars beside them. SMART is the only transit provider authorized to use it. Other vehicles stay in the travel lanes except in emergencies.
ODOT calls the approach a low-cost tool that improves travel without large infrastructure work that can take years. If you plan to commute by SMART bus, that's useful. If you'll be driving to an office in Tualatin or Clackamas, it means the 2027 version of this drive will have the same lane count as today's. The 35 mph trigger was designed for a road that still slows down.
Bridge completion doesn't end the work by the river
Buyers looking at homes near the bridge hear "2027" and assume that's when construction stops. ODOT's own reports describe another phase. The project needs extra funding for soil stabilization work, which will be done "under a different contract following completion of the structure." ODOT's preliminary cost risk analysis puts that work at $100 million to $130 million. The Q3 2026 report repeats the figure and calls it a future contract. In June, ODOT wrote that the risks on the project "are materializing."
That means another funding decision and another construction contract come after the bridge is finished. The work zone near the Willamette has a follow-up phase already on the books.
What the work zone sounds like at night
That matters most for people living right next to the work. At the City Council's Sept. 1 work session, West Linn Tidings reported, Councilor Kevin Bonnington described his own measurements near the site:
"I've been out there several nights around 11 or midnight, so I can tell you — the (peak noise) is about 95 decibels and the average is between 75 and 85."
According to the same report, neighbors have complained about vibration from heavy machinery and drilling, noise until 3 a.m., and property damage. Some who filed damage claims through ODOT had them denied. ODOT said all shaft drilling was finished, which it expected to reduce vibration. In a later Tidings report, ODOT said the loudest work happens at night to limit the effect on traffic. Residents also raised concerns about lighting and dust. ODOT Area Manager Vidal Francis encouraged people to file complaints so the agency can see where problems are happening, and called it "an ongoing situation."
West Linn had exempted ODOT from its noise ordinance, and Oregon City approved a similar exemption. Council asked staff to draft a repeal. The Sept. 15 work-session memo presented Ordinance 1775. It would move ODOT's work into the city's Special Permit process, where the City Manager can grant variances with conditions such as:
- Limits on hours and days of the week
- Monitoring requirements
- Mitigation measures
In the same memo, city staff recommended pausing the ordinance and working out written changes and deadlines directly with ODOT and affected residents. Anyone writing an offer on a home close to the site should check the council's agendas to see where this ended up.
How to test a West Linn commute before you make an offer
Since the road isn't scheduled to change, the most reliable way to judge a West Linn commute is to drive the road that exists now:
- Drive the Stafford Road to OR 43 stretch at your actual commute hour. A Sunday afternoon trip tells you nothing about a weekday morning. Six lanes are not on any construction calendar for this segment.
- Check ODOT's weekly closure schedule. Lane and ramp closures change week to week, and the I-205 corridor updates page posts the current schedule. Recent updates included overnight closures on I-205 and the southbound OR 43 off-ramp at Exit 8.
- If you'll be riding transit, check SMART routes. The shoulder lane only helps people on a SMART bus.
- If the home is near the bridge, go back after 10 p.m. Councilor Bonnington's readings were taken around 11 p.m. and midnight. A daytime showing won't tell you what nights sound like.
This post reports on public projects and city rules. It's general information, not legal or financial advice, so please confirm anything about claims, ordinances or your own property with the right professional.
If you're comparing West Linn with other inner-ring suburbs and want to know how the I-205 timeline affects a specific street, Peak Realty can walk you through it before you write an offer. If you own near the corridor and are thinking about selling into 2027, start with a free home valuation and we'll build a plan around how buyers are reading this road today.
