Sullivan: How to avoid the GPS nightmare to Portland
Aug 1, 2024, 6:10 AM | Updated: 8:47 am
Vehicles crossing the Lewis River Bridge. (Photo: Feliks Banel, KIRO Newsradio)
(Photo: Feliks Banel, KIRO Newsradio)
Why is turning your GPS or in-car navigation off probably a good call on your trip to Portland this weekend? Let me explain.
We all know artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t always get it right. Neither does your favorite navigation app. How many times has it directed you off the freeway and back on at the same interchange, just to save a possible minute? How many times has it turned you into Don Quixote and added an hour to your quest?
That’s what you will face on southbound Interstate 5 (I-5), if you trust your trip to AI right now.
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Bridge construction has reduced the freeway over the Lewis River to just two, very tight lanes. Last weekend was the first weekend with this configuration. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) expected 11-mile backups and up to 90-minute delays during the peak travel hours.
Those expectations came true. Then the travel apps started sending people off the freeway and into an even deeper mess.
“This bypass route actually comes into the city of Woodland north of the construction,” Cowlitz County Chief Deputy Troy Brightbill said. “It doesn’t get you around it. You have to make a left turn as soon as you get to the bottom of Green Mountain Road, against traffic. You and 1,000 other cars. We really do not recommend it.”
That’s why the sheriff’s office put out an alert earlier this week warning drivers to avoid it. It won’t save you time, and you might just get stuck.
“They’re steep hills,” Deputy Brightbill said. “They’re windy. There are some tight turns. A lot of vehicles with trailers will get stuck there. We’ve had issues with commercial freight traffic trying to go around and they, at times, have gotten stuck or gotten jackknifed on these routes.”
That rural, seldom-driven road became a parking lot.
“That bypass route was becoming more congested than I-5,” Deputy Brightbill said. “It also was making it difficult for residents to get in and out of their homes. Emergency services, like the sheriff’s office and the fire department, were having trouble getting through the area.”
Residents couldn’t get out of their driveways. Access to the local firehouse was blocked. And there are no bathrooms, stores, gas stations or any decent places to pull off when you’re stuck on Green Mountain Road. There are stories of people pulling into driveways and asking homeowners to use their bathrooms.
In conclusion, the message is simple.
“Just because your navigation app tells you to take this road, doesn’t mean it’s right,” Deputy Brightbill said. “It’s not going to save you time. You’re better off to stay on I-5.”
The county and WSDOT have put up even more signs to warn people from getting off the freeway and chancing this route, and the state has reached out to the app companies as well.
“They have reached out to both Google Maps and Waze to ask them to please stop recommending this route,” Deputy Brightbill said. “It’s not a suitable route. They have reader boards out now that say no ‘alt route, stay on I-5.’ We have signs out all over the place, but people still just go with what their app tells them.”
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And this is not just a “this weekend” issue. This lane reduction is going to last a while. My best advice is to go way early in the morning or go really late. Stick with I-5, even with a significant delay. It will be better than getting off the freeway at Exit 27, Todd Road.
If you are going all the way to Portland, you might consider getting off I-5 in Longview, crossing the Columbia into Oregon, then taking Highway 30 into the city.
It’s a smaller road. It can’t take much extra traffic, but it’s a better option than wandering through the woods east of I-5. Let’s hope this weekend will be much better.
Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.
