Drivers who have been tempted to jump the long line of rush hour traffic on state Highway 14 may now have the green light to do so.
On Thursday, officials illuminated a sign over westbound Highway 14 directing the usage of the now-open part-time shoulder lane. The lane is the first of its kind in the region and aims to alleviate traffic congestion.
The new lane extends about 1½ miles from the Southeast 164th Avenue onramp to northbound Interstate 205. The $28 million project began construction in fall 2022 and was funded by the state’s Connecting Washington package. Traffic controllers will open the lane when traffic is heavy, expanding westbound Highway 14 traffic to four lanes. C-Tran buses can use the lane at any time. The sign will depict a green arrow when the lane is open, a red “X” when it is closed and a yellow caution symbol in the case of debris or emergency vehicles blocking the lane.
The sign glowed red around 3 p.m. Thursday when it was officially turned on. But staffers knew it was only a matter of time until traffic began to slow and the lane would be put to use.
Carley Francis, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s regional administrator, celebrated the new lane for the way it brings flexibility to what often becomes a snarl during peak traffic hours.
“Something that’s really special about this project is it makes one of the most heavily traveled roadways in Southwest Washington dynamic to conditions, meaning we can customize the available lanes to accommodate current traffic levels,” Francis said.
Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said the new lane is another mark of the area being on the cutting edge of technology-based solutions. She recorded video on her phone of a live-traffic feed in WSDOT’s Kevanna Park office showing the sign lighting up.
“This is so exciting because there are so many innovations that you have been doing for the last couple of years,” McEnerny-Ogle said. “This is going to help tremendously. We’re so excited. Thank you for working with us. Thank you for understanding our needs.”
State Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, said he drove the stretch of highway Thursday morning to see for himself how it will change people’s commutes.
“It is really going to help those who are in east Clark County … even from Skamania, Camas, Washougal, all these areas that are really growing, this will give them an added lane, and it makes it far safer,” Harris said.
C-Tran CEO Leann Caver celebrated the way the lane will help bus service stay on schedule and reduce the headache of sitting in traffic on a bus.
