The Columbian from Vancouver, Washington • 1

i -to to 4 i' 4 to to irV''x 'V' to 4 to to to to to 1 I i i i i I i i i i i i i (Comnwteirs sal ttiroaiiglhi bridge work By THOMAS RYLL Columbian ttaff writer For weeks transportation officials have been predicting gridlock or worse on Interstate 5 beginning this morning Plans were laid and preparations made When it came to D-Day by virtually all indications commuters merely beat the bridge they chopped it into little pieces melted it down and made new Hyundais out of it Throughout the region traffic north- and southbound on both interstates and even on the normally dismal 1-84 into downtown Portland was on the move On highways everywhere it was as if commuters had overslept gone on vacation called in sick or simply forgot to go to work on time On the Interstate 5 Bridge the only traffic jam was on the sidewalk where television reporters attacked a queue of hapless bicyclists for a we-pedal-to-work report Rough estimates of traffic in the two southbound lanes during the normal 7-8 am crunch time put the volume at perhaps one-fourth of normal Weather and an accident were blamed for a two-hour delay in closing the three northbound lanes on the bridge but southbound motorists were funneled into just two lanes for the entire morning rush hour A Washington State Patrol dispatcher reported a backup on Interstate 205 to Mill Plain between 6 and 7 am an item about as remarkable on a typical weekday morning as declaring rice white keep it said the dispatcher because it was good today doesn't mean it will be good In Vancouver and Portland officials congregated at TV-monitor-stuffed war rooms to watch the morning commute unfold It wasn't disastrous it was divine is said Eric Mellgren deputy police chief think we have done so much advertising that people are cooperating in every sense of the word All of the media attention helped I just hope people stick to Although information was only preliminary this morning commuter ridership on C-Tran's buses was thought to be up 40 percent For the bridge-repair occasion capacity has been doubled all rides are free and several new temporary park-and-ride lots have been opened At one of them a lot with 350 spaces in downtown Vancouver 132 vehick-s were on hand by about 9 am The shuttle kit feeding Amtrak service with 750 spaces had 191 cars There was plenty of room on this commuter train The three southbound trains out of Vancouver carried a total of 553 passengers while two returning trains cap ried 140 northbound commuters roughly 16 percent of the 10c ar train's capacity think it will pick up said Richard Schneider an Amtrak transportation manager The commuter train ran without a hitch over the 10-mile route from the Vancouver Amtrak station to Union Station in Portland The trip took between 20 and 25 minutes With masses of traffic expected on Interstate 5 this morning Patsy Maul stood on the East Evergreen Boulevard overpass in Vancouver waving two signs saying a Wave Vote Yes for Pools On the freeway below where at best there were only carpools traffic was a mere ripple being smart" Maui a Vancouver resident said about 7:30 am another way It says a kit for miDGK please see A4 SMOOTH THIS AT TOE bridge repair buttoning up this morning Ihp AAiiMid mifi tor wtno ran The company suspend ounngmgnwras planned to ln nilma reamer tne repair 1-5 THIS onoge dosed at two hours planned the bridge the morning at about 8am flow southbound the AMIRAN MORNING: County first two trains Vancouver morning the trains out Vancouver 1-205 THIS Light Automobile commuters County about 7 am downtown minutes Better usual commute MAX the trip minutes THEY SAID i nlnft mu aA A Gangsman Maul says a lot for around here MORE INFO: Department Transportation C-Tran wwwwagovrtcdata brdgnewshtm SAILING MORNING JOBSITE: The contractor was its operations in preparation oiiiJ ljtsM aid Hymning is required to crane operations women ride out the bad AIM wore continuing operation The aalJkWjki ighjJ nonnoouno lenes 6:55 am about later than Traffic both ways on was light through One report said that traffic was one-fourth normal volume THIS About 440 Clark commuters took the from to Portland this Another 200 used of Portland to MORNING: leaving Clark southbound on 1-205 reached Portland in 25 than the By bus and took 50 lib nljJ saiorasy another way It the people Oregon of 800-722-6557 695-0123 ISgUttSK w-takV i il 1 i i3tt-ati('i 5 'Jit -v l- i 33k'' --v 't'-f i Jki 1 4-S TOMBOYOrTTaColuntiin that complacent commuters will take to the highways on Wednesday and undo this Where have al the morning's jam-free drives on the area's freeways fomT Officials fear to area's freeways Get over the bridge then get to the polls Weather Wednesday: High 66 low 52 Thursday: High 68 low 50 Forecast: Clouds some sun Details page cs showers and thunderstorms INK)1IN INSIDE Local B1 For vote result starting alter 630 pm cal MM000 category ISM Otherwise they may be taken to the county elections division 510 Mill Plain Blvd or any polling place Gaisar gathering: Gaiser Hall at Clark College on Fort Vancouver Way north of McLoughlin Boulevard is the place to be tonight for those who want to see election results beginning about 8:15 pm Melina: The Info-line will have results starting about 8:30 pm Call 6996000 and enter category CVTV coverage: CVTV will provide live coverage starting at 8:30 pm on cable Channel 47 mission for Clark County residents who vote by mail: Survive the first day of the Interstate 5 Bridge repair and still find time to get to the polling place before 8 pm Issues on ballot include a $14 million swimming pool bond in Vancouver and an advisory measure on a home rule charter for Clark County Registered voters who cast mail bafiots and know where to vote today may call 699 2345 to find out Absents baflots: They must be postmarked by today to count Television C5 We want to hear trail you: See our service drectoty on A2 1MH7 THE C(J IMRAN OWEOtSONmwCakinAjM Pre-dawn's catty Bghta: Southbound traffic backs up briefly at the bridge today before the final closure of the northbound span i a A to to.