Portland - Narrow and Very Scary Freeways? (live, areas)

[intothelight]

Is it just me, or are Portland freeways really scary? The lanes feel super skinny. Maybe it's the fact that there's no shoulder in so many places?

No hate on Portland - just wondering if it's just me.

[bler144]

In general, no, I haven't noticed that.

Perhaps there's just more semi- traffic or pickups than you're used to?

If you were talking about 26 coming down the hill from the hospital or I-5 through the curves I could see what you mean in terms of feeling a bit insecure in the lane, but I think it's not the width per se but the tendency of drivers to drift a bit.

[patches403]

Originally Posted by intothelight

Is it just me, or are Portland freeways really scary? The lanes feel super skinny. Maybe it's the fact that there's no shoulder in so many places?

No hate on Portland - just wondering if it's just me.

If you're used to driving on big wide straight freeways in other states, Portland freeways in some areas will seem narrow in comparison. Mainly as the above poster mentioned on the Sunset Hwy between Sylvan and downtown and I-5 thru the curves. I think it's more about the road curving in those places than actual lane width; plus the hills on one or both sides of the freeway in those places makes it feel like driving thru a narrow canyon. The high number of semis on that stretch of I-5 doesn't help.

[jjpop]

I hate driving on the top deck of the Marquam Bridge. I've had a couple of close calls up there.

[CanuckInPortland]

Originally Posted by jjpop

I hate driving on the top deck of the Marquam Bridge. I've had a couple of close calls up there.

Going west on the Marquam people always seem to cut across the three lanes when they realize they need to be in the right lane to go south--and they'll often do it on the curve leading up to the top of the bridge. It can be messy.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by CanuckInPortland

Going west on the Marquam people always seem to cut across the three lanes when they realize they need to be in the right lane to go south--and they'll often do it on the curve leading up to the top of the bridge. It can be messy.

Yeah, that curve is right before you enter the lower deck of the bridge, right? That curve is sharper than you would expect it to be and a lot of people miscalculate and go wide. Then they realize that they needed to be in the right lane to continue south on I-5 and do exactly as you're describing. It's a mess.

I really dislike trying to get from northbound I-5 to I-84 on the top deck. One time a guy just started merging into my lane without even looking (no blinker, of course). I think we tapped fenders at 50 mph. And the height of the bridge walls is only like 4 feet. It feels like it's a launching pad into the Willamette.

[58rhodes]

Portland is hardly scary. Try the Penn turnpike around the Pittsburgh area

[AndyAMG]

There is a reason the speed limit is 50. If they raised it to 60 people would do 80.

Never noticed them being any narrower than anywhere else, and I've lived in three of four time zones in the contiguous US.

[thedownlow]

Portland. The freeways built for the population 20 years ago.