Interstate Bridge - Traffic Stop for a Quick Lift

The Marquees and lights started changing right as I approached the bridge, and I wound up timing it just right to be first in line to wait for the bridge to open.
I haven't seen many videos of the actual Traffic Stop process, so I thought it would be fun to share how the bridge sounds off some loud piercing sirens to alert traffic to the stop, followed by the only Red Light on I-5 between Mexico and Canada.
The Bridge signals its opening with a few blasts from its horn, and then opens up to let a crane barge through.

[@jordansean18]

I know it's shaky 😅 I just wanted to share what I could get since I'm never in the right place at the right time for this haha

[@michaelwalterselevatorsrob5009]

*OH DON’T RUN THE BARRICADE YOU DORK!*

[@Trainman11185]

Great footage of this bridge operating! I have been over this bridge multiple times over the years but I have never seen it operate in person

[@jordansean18]

I've managed to catch it a couple times! But most of the time its already in the middle of a lift. Catching the warning lights and sirens sounding and the lights going to red... that was just too perfectly timed to not record it!

[@nickinportland]

I still haven’t see it operate and I’ve lived here for years. Super cool

[@jordansean18]

Oh I get stuck behind it a couple times a year just out of coincidence. Was terrible when it made me late for a test at Clark 😅

[@nickinportland]

@@jordansean18 haha I bet. I was griping to my wife crossing over one today and was like you know what I’m going to look up what that damn thing looks like open 😂

[@zunkman1]

Apparently this video was made by attaching your phone to a jackhammer attached to a paint shaker during an earthquake.

[@jordansean18]

Lol yup. Makes for an easy tripod to carry in the car!

[@KnoxvilleRailfanProductions]

Interesting how there is sirens on the Approach Boards which start sounding when the light is still green.

[@jordansean18]

It's apparently to get your attention because the green light doesn't show up until you're already on the downhill toward the gates... And it's a 50mph bridge lol

[@malikmitchell3030]

Nice footage I crossed this bridge when I went to Portland. I’m new to WA and I didn’t know there was a draw bridge on I-5. Also that truck should’ve just keep going 😂

[@jordansean18]

Lol yeah I think he was already trying to stop. If he had kept at speed he definitely would have gotten through just fine. Portland has us all afraid of the light turning red after we enter the intersection because of red light cameras.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

Very cool video. Loved the lift sequence. Those horns were fantastic!

[@MiaCollinsNeighborhood]

Thank god that “dork” backed up!

[@RoadGuyRob]

Howdy Sean, I was wondering if I could show your video for part of one I'm working on? (With credit / your permission) I'm putting together a video about the engineering behind the Interstate Bridge and the replacement that almost happened a decade ago. I actually hung out for an entire day in Vancouver hoping to film the lift, but no large ships came by. So I had to pack up without the shot. This video is, frankly, amazing. Anyway, if you're open to sharing -- that would be really cool. If not, it's all good. Cheers, Rob

[@jordansean18]

Absolutely Rob; love your channel. Go right ahead! (Sorry for the shaky camera work haha)

[@jordansean18]

Incidentally that's exactly why I wanted to start recording when I saw the bridge lift warning signs. I just don't see enough videos of the actual lift process, especially not from the driver's perspective.

[@RoadGuyRob]

@@jordansean18 AWESOME JordanSean! Thank you so much! (What name should I use for credit, e.g. "(Name) was driving on I-5 and saw the bridge lifting...."?)

[@jordansean18]

@@RoadGuyRob you can just say "Sean Bates". This is not an anonymous account (though i don't have the name always rendering consistently. ) Thanks for asking!

[@juhirail6303]

Amazing & excellent capture❤

[@atheman90]

That boat’s blowing its horn like a train passing a railroad crossing.

[@jordansean18]

I think it's mostly just the bridge operators that blow the horns around here. This bridge has a bunch of horns and sirens all over 😅

[@MarkK395]

@@jordansean18 I think it's both the bridge and vessels, they do that on a lift bridge in Duluth, MN. I believe it's tradition to do this as the bridge tender knows well in advance that the vessel is coming.

[@roblox-cb6jc]

no that horn is on the bridge bridges have horns

[@DeTrafficStreetBeatz]

Wow thank you for this amazing shot 💪

[@LunarEquity93]

Great video and more

[@tracywagers1399]

We need a Bridge lift ASAP

[@ilikeminecraftgaming9331]

Me and my mom have crossed that bridge several timex on the way to Washington for doctors appointments,never actually seen it opening though,interesting!

[@Ash_Ketchum_Pikachu]

Between Oregon and Washington

[@michaelpayne5545]

Yeah the semi truck would have been okay to keep going. The drawbridge operator would probably see he was on the bridge and not lower the gates at the far end of the bridge until he was clear of the bridge. Like others stated though, he may have been trying to stop anyway, and it takes longer to stop a semi truck than it does to stop a car.

[@tony9thegamer2]

Those sirens sound really creepy!

[@late-nightsexxxygirliejenn6385]

It sure does! I love a sound like that, so that I can hold on to my sweet bonbon when I hear it!❤

[@LoganMusovich]

3t22

[@jamesmurray8558]

I have seen the bridge go up on Steel bridge, Powell,as well as this one when ship go by.I miss my time there.The same Columbia that Lewis and Clark was on.

[@mr.destruction615]

How slow was that crane barge going when it was entering the bridge radius?

[@jordansean18]

They usually come over from the other side of Hayden Island, so I don't think it was going very fast at the time

[@PVFriends_VCAM50]

4 days after a Christmas Day in 2020.

[@coolleo149]

Yo awesome video my man!

[@Beavis5]

It sounds like a tornado siren

[@LoganMusovich]

Yes it dos

[@DanknDerpyGamer]

Tell me I'm not the only one who wondered if the bridge was on fire from the way the lighting is.

[@TakoNeriYatai]

可動橋!!

[@late-nightsexxxygirliejenn6385]

Seeing those lights in the tower and the blinking red lights make me think about wanting to go to CBS Television City in Hollywood, California for my 50th birthday; giggle!🤭🎂

[@mbcommandnerd]

Hold up…are those inner gates actually their own kind of lift bridges!? I’ve never seen gates like that before…

[@jordansean18]

That's actually a retractable chain net barricade that gets lowered down to deck level. That barricade would (hopefully) stop a highway speed truck from going into the water!

[@jordansean18]

Especially useful on the northbound side where you're trying to slow from 50-60mph on a steep downhill.

[@audrinalockwood4763]

That's nice you don't have to wait and get stuck again.

[@piktureit]

0:09 the lights on the bridge make it look like it's on fire

[@jordansean18]

No kidding! The first time I saw this bridge with all of it's work lights on, I had to take a photo. It's still up on Wikipedia 🥰 (Also I just realized the wiki page is missing the latest updates to the bridge.. guess I got some editing to do!) en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Bridge

[@truckspotting7473]

@@jordansean18 Can you do another video of this bridge in action 🎬?

[@jordansean18]

@@truckspotting7473 I'm not sure how often it's going up right now. I might see if I can post some of my older videos of it in daytime.

[@anthonyguarino4242]

What state is the bridge from?

[@jordansean18]

Between Oregon and Washington

[@anthonyguarino4242]

@@jordansean18 ok, thank you.

[@jamesmurray8558]

Oregon and Washington to let ship pass.That was so cool to watch.

[@xeridox]

Ah I miss this place. Too bad it's gone to hell since I moved

[@Unknown_Ooh]

For some reason at first when you were approaching it looked like the bridge was on fire 🤣

[@THE_PERSON4204]

How much vehicles did this delay? I hope there is a large fee that boats have to pay to lift the bridge.

[@MiaCollinsNeighborhood]

But why did you call the driver a dork?

[@TheRealTricky]

I5? I guess this is the bridge at Portland, on the border between Oregon and Washington, right? (Exit number 1, and the road number in a silhouette of George Washington's head are a bit of the hints). I guess that trucker thought he/she could make it.

[@jordansean18]

Exactly right! Though in fairness to the trucker, this gate is at the bottom of a steep bump in the bridge

[@TheRealTricky]

@@jordansean18Ah, I see... Hard for me to tell since I've never been there (in fact I've never been in the States at all. I'm Dutch, thus European, you know), so I gotta take your word for it, and I guess it's indeed pretty hard to get a truck to stop from the situation you describe.

[@tracywagers1399]

Can you raise the bridge we need a bridge lift

[@jordansean18]

haha, was that you that came through? I was driving home from portland an hour ago and there was a bridge lift.. couldn't see what boat called for it! Sail boat?

[@tracywagers1399]

@@jordansean18 no it wasn’t me

[@Matthew-dd2gp]

@@jordansean18 Are you from United Kingdom? (a.k.a the short is UK)

[@CazicTheProtogen]

ooh you can hear a model L going off

[@jordansean18]

I don't know sirens, but it's a loud little guy about the size and shape of a fire truck siren

[@CazicTheProtogen]

@@jordansean18 yeah, i saw it when i went downtown a week or so ago

[@roblox-cb6jc]

whats that very loud horn sound i

[@jordansean18]

Air siren is to alert highway drivers, and the horn is blasted as a signal that the bridge is opening so the boats don't sleep on it 😅

[@jeanchp]

0:19 Yes, that truck driver is a giant twerp.

[@jordansean18]

Eh at least he backed up so the barricade could close 😅

[@roblox-cb6jc]

where is the horn located

[@jordansean18]

The air sirens are located near all the highway warning signs, and the horns are near the motor houses on each of the two lift spans (I think? Might be on the control booth between the spans)

[@kakahtukat]

1:17 insert multiple crossing bells and one more long horn here

[@jordansean18]

I think the bell was just the door chime on my car. I don't recall hearing any bells on this bridge, just the horn and sirens.. and maybe the beeps from the pedestrian gates

[@kakahtukat]

@@jordansean18reference to railroad crossing

[@late-nightsexxxygirliejenn6385]

📺When one of the passengers exclaimed "Don't run the barricade, you dork!" It sounded like he was quoting a line from a science fiction TV show or movie, giggle!🤭

[@unknownprofile2830]

Where is this bridge located?

[@jordansean18]

Columbia river; between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

[@markjones1184]

I'm dizzy trying to watch it

[@abutts02]

Close one with the truck running the red light

[@jordansean18]

Lol to be fair it's a Red Light on an Interstate Freeway 🙃

[@weeardguy]

@@jordansean18 Yep... looks weird to me as a Dutchman to have such limited advance-warnings in place. We have multiple bridges in motorways in The Netherlands, but when they are about to be opened, electronic signs up to something like 900 meters away will light with lowering maximum speeds per portal (distance between them is something like 300 to 400 meters if I remember right), down to 50 km/h max at the last portal as the lights that secure the bridge are the next one will encounter. Usually, an electronic sign with the icon of a bridge opening will light up as well so traffic knows what the speed-reduction is about. Downside is that ever more people decide they can't deal with the wait and speed up significantly. I've had a few close calls with idiots that decided to floor it while I was down to 30 km/h and preparing to stop in front of the barriers that were about to come down. Fortunately, ever more bridges get equipped with ANPR cameras that catch drivers who think the red flashing lights have no meaning at all...

[@STOPHEREProductions]

Wheres that?

[@jordansean18]

Between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

[@STOPHEREProductions]

@@jordansean18 Ok thanks!

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

My my That lorry almost caused an accident

[@Duo1862]

Özel güvenlik görevlisi

[@antoniomendoza7218]

Who constructs a lift bridge for a superhighway? 🤔

[@jordansean18]

They converted the old highway into an interstate back in the 50s

[@jordanriley4510]

NEVER GiVE UP 🎶

[@aurorawaxwing5866]

I think it is a pretty bridge but don't have a car so hope they do replace it and add a MAX extension

[@Matthew-dd2gp]

Who is driving this vehicle?

[@sonic_niky2016]

HELPPPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEWEWWWEE GATT

[@Computergk91Gaming]

Simi truck take longer to stop than a regular cars i play ats from time to time I had no warning as open I had to slam on the brakes and ended up crashing head on into the bridge because around 70 plus my truck not start and it totaled my trailer that I was pulling

[@jordansean18]

And this is after a steep downhill too, which is why they had lights and sirens ahead 😅

[@adilmamedov6994]

Eo

[@matthewadventureexploratio6596]

We have heard that Oregon & Washington Governor is to plan to Rebuild the Interstate Bridge that is over 100 Years of Living. By the time Earthquake Rumbles the Bridge could Collapse which is no good & to take a Ferry Temporarily until the Bridge gets Rebuild. It would be nice if there is No Stoplights Draw Bridge on a Highway. It needs to be Free from Stoplights.

[@jordansean18]

Yeah they're currently drafting a new set of proposals. You can follow it at www.interstatebridge.org/

[@jordansean18]

And only about 40% of the bridge pair is the original bridge. The rest was built in the 50s. ...so... like 60-70 years old for the rest haha

[@busterman5557]

You could take I-205 if that survives. Otherwise, the closest bridges are Bridge of the Gods in the Gorge or the Astoria-Megler bridge in Astoria.

[@hwyfan]

@@busterman5557 Also the Lewis and Clark Bridge between Longview, WA and Rainier, OR.

[@busterman5557]

@@hwyfan True. Don't know why I didn't think of that bridge.

[@PeterBuvik]

Why is there such a bridge on an Interstate

[@jordansean18]

It was here before there was an interstate 😉 they doubled and reshaped it but occasionally large vessels require a lift

[@calcnoon]

気分良く走っているところに いきなりSTOPの電光表示では 何の緊急事態なのかとみんなが 腰を抜かす止められ方だ。 船を通す可動橋であると 気づくのに時間がかかってしまう。

[@daeone1514]

That’s a bad spot for an expressway. Cool bridge tho, just a bad location. The expressway

[@jordansean18]

Lol yeah its a 100 year old bridge that was upgraded and retrofitted to carry the interstate freeway

[@daeone1514]

@@jordansean18 the fact that it basically shuts down the expressway gets to me. Traffic after that will be senseless

[@jordansean18]

@@daeone1514 they pretty much would never dare open it during rush hour. Its been referred to as "the last red light from Mexico to Canada" because its literally the only traffic control on the whole way. ...wait is that still true now that California has interstate customs? *scratches head*

[@frafraplanner9277]

@@jordansean18 yes California has customs on inbound Interstates with stop signs and all that

[@BritishMetric144]

​@@jordansean18 California still has a state inspection checkpoint for agricultural purposes near its north end and a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint near the south end. But the agricultural purpose checkpoint, for the most part, doesn't stop cars for that long (the more detailed inspections are for trucks), and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint is rarely activated.

[@late-nightsexxxygirliejenn6385]

When I get a car again, I want to stop at those lift- and drawbridges again, so that I can put my car in park, and long-kiss my sweet bonbon; while he's hanging on to me; giggle!!🤭

[@ntcrawford722]

You gotta learn how to take better video dude