A new traffic pattern in Portland has resulted in a lot of near-miss collisions.
ODOT removed an extra middle lane coming up to the junction of westbound I-84 and I-5. Drivers going north on I-5 need to be in the far right lane – but many are driving as though the lane was still there, and swerving to miss the barrier separating lanes.
The Oregonian video report on the “phantom lane” illustrates the problem drivers are having navigating the new freeway split.
ODOT warned that it may take a couple of weeks for motorists to adjust. The change was planned in an effort to avert abrupt lane changes that caused car accidents like the one that sent a tractor-trailer truck over the edge of the overpass back in June.