Eclipse + bridge work = epic I-82 traffic jam

What happens when you cross a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse with a once-in-a-generation bridge rebuild project?

A traffic jam of epic proportions, as eclipse-goers discovered when they headed home to Washington by way of Umatilla on Monday afternoon.

The Interstate 82 crossing at Umatilla is generally a sleepy spot to cross the Columbia River.

But Monday’s eclipse coincided with a major construction project and the result was an exercise in frustration. It’s not clear what, if any, plans officials in Washington and Oregon had to manage cross-river traffic Monday.

By way of background, the two states launched a year-long project to rebuild the aging deck of the older of the two spans in June. The 1955-built bridge that normally carries traffic into Oregon closed for a rehab that will take two summer seasons.

While that bridge is being reconstructed, I-82 traffic is routed to a second bridge, with just one lane for each direction.

As if the single lane configuration wasn’t frustrating enough, drivers were prevented from entering the northbound on-ramp to I-82 from Oregon Highway 730 at Umatilla.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials were not available Tuesday to explain the rationale for closing the ramp.

The unannounced move forced Washington-bound drivers to circle back through Umatilla and enter the freeway from Powerline Road several miles to the south on another ramp. A drive that normally takes minutes extended to hours.

Click here for a refresher on the $10 million Umatilla bridge rebuild.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Eclipse + bridge work = epic I-82 traffic jam."