I-205

About I-205

Also known as Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge.

Interstate 205 is a three-digit auxiliary route of Interstate 5. Its even prefix digit marks it as a loop or bypass route, and the number is used in two places on the West Coast. The most prominent instance is the eastern bypass of Portland, Oregon, which leaves Interstate 5 south of the city, swings east of downtown Portland past the airport, crosses the Columbia River into Vancouver, Washington, and rejoins Interstate 5 to the north.

The Oregon and Washington route crosses the Columbia River on the Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge, a long segmental bridge opened in 1982 that also carries a pedestrian and bicycle path along its center. The route serves Portland International Airport and is a heavily used commuter corridor on the east side of the metro area.

The other Interstate 205 is in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California, a short east-west route that runs from Interstate 5 west to Interstate 580 and forms the north side of a connector triangle around the city of Tracy. It is officially the Robert T. Monagan Freeway.

History

The California route opened in 1970, built partly on an earlier expressway alignment and partly on a new bypass north of Tracy. The Oregon and Washington bypass was built through the 1970s and early 1980s, with its Columbia River bridge opening to traffic in December 1982 to complete the eastern Portland loop.

Major cities and places

Notable features

• Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge over the Columbia River
• Multi-use path along the Columbia River bridge

Did you know

• The Oregon and Washington route is the eastern bypass of Portland.
• Its Columbia River bridge opened in 1982 and carries a multi-use path.
• The California route forms the north side of a triangle around Tracy.
• The even prefix digit reflects the route's bypass function.