ODOT & OSP Suck!
Tuesday, 3. June 2008, 22:18:16
Now, this isn't a generic 'I hate police' or 'I hate constuction' rant.. I'm going to be very specific...
Monday evening, I was on my way home from an outdoor soccer game. After picking up Haley from my parents house, I begin what Google Maps, Mapquest, and other route-giving websites say is the fastest way from their house (in the Stafford Area of the Portland Metro Area) to my house (in the Salmon Creek area of Vancouver): I-5 North.
When coming past Hwy 217, I see the first sign: 'Accident I5 Northbound AT Lombard. All lanes blocked. Washington Traffic use I84 East to I205 North.' (my emphasis on 'AT') The 'at' part is the thing that is the problem here...
I think 'At Lombard, no problem.. just hop off at the Greely exit past the Rose Quarter, take Greely to R on Lombard to L on Denver, which becomes Interstate, and back onto I5 North, about 3/4 mile past where the accident is said to be. Cool.' None of this 25 miles out of my way stuff to get home.
All is going according to plan, until we get to the 'back onto I5 North' part... the on ramp at Interstate is being blocked by the cops. Ok, it had been raining pretty good most of the evening, and perhaps the tunnel is flooded or something.. just pop down the offramp toward East Delta Park and get on the freeway on that side. Nope. Another of Portland's finest blocking that on ramp, too.. but in looking up the on ramp, there are ODOT trucks with yellow flashy lights just past the tunnel, so again, it could be having a problem down there... no worries...
Around East Delta Park past the Joe's, up to Marine to get on I5 North just past the Expo Center... only to find a long line of traffice there, as well.. why? Because the accident is actually up at Jantzen Beach, not Lombard... all manner of emergency vehicles from fire trucks to police to ODOT Commet trucks to ambulances and perhaps the coast guard are all over the freeway...
Now I GET to travel down Marine Drive past the airport to take I205 North.. a scary drive when it's daylight and dry, nevermind pitch black out and wet on the roadway...
I know, I know.. just do what the sign said, right? They're never right, though... and this is further proof. If they would only have given even close to a correct location of the wreck, or changed the wording to more precisely say 'Accident I5 Northbound, CLOSED at Lombard' I would have gladly gone across town on the Banfield.
As Dennis Miller used to say, 'I don't want to get off on a rant here, but...'
:-)
Monday evening, I was on my way home from an outdoor soccer game. After picking up Haley from my parents house, I begin what Google Maps, Mapquest, and other route-giving websites say is the fastest way from their house (in the Stafford Area of the Portland Metro Area) to my house (in the Salmon Creek area of Vancouver): I-5 North.
When coming past Hwy 217, I see the first sign: 'Accident I5 Northbound AT Lombard. All lanes blocked. Washington Traffic use I84 East to I205 North.' (my emphasis on 'AT') The 'at' part is the thing that is the problem here...
I think 'At Lombard, no problem.. just hop off at the Greely exit past the Rose Quarter, take Greely to R on Lombard to L on Denver, which becomes Interstate, and back onto I5 North, about 3/4 mile past where the accident is said to be. Cool.' None of this 25 miles out of my way stuff to get home.
All is going according to plan, until we get to the 'back onto I5 North' part... the on ramp at Interstate is being blocked by the cops. Ok, it had been raining pretty good most of the evening, and perhaps the tunnel is flooded or something.. just pop down the offramp toward East Delta Park and get on the freeway on that side. Nope. Another of Portland's finest blocking that on ramp, too.. but in looking up the on ramp, there are ODOT trucks with yellow flashy lights just past the tunnel, so again, it could be having a problem down there... no worries...
Around East Delta Park past the Joe's, up to Marine to get on I5 North just past the Expo Center... only to find a long line of traffice there, as well.. why? Because the accident is actually up at Jantzen Beach, not Lombard... all manner of emergency vehicles from fire trucks to police to ODOT Commet trucks to ambulances and perhaps the coast guard are all over the freeway...
Now I GET to travel down Marine Drive past the airport to take I205 North.. a scary drive when it's daylight and dry, nevermind pitch black out and wet on the roadway...
I know, I know.. just do what the sign said, right? They're never right, though... and this is further proof. If they would only have given even close to a correct location of the wreck, or changed the wording to more precisely say 'Accident I5 Northbound, CLOSED at Lombard' I would have gladly gone across town on the Banfield.
As Dennis Miller used to say, 'I don't want to get off on a rant here, but...'
:-)
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I got on I-5 at Broadway, past any signs that I needed to get off the freeway and head elsewhere. And no one seemed to be doing any traffic reports to let folks know what was going on. Luckily I could see it was deadly JUST BEFORE Rosa Parks Drive, so managed my way off the freeway and had to call home to see if Paul could figure out what was up online. I decided to try to take 99E northbound and get on the freeway there, but right as I was pulling up on Marine Drive I saw all the lights and realized I wanted no part of that.
By swankette, # 3. June 2008, 23:38:54