West Linn's City Council could vote Tuesday to end ODOT's exemption from the city's noise ordinance.

The move would expose the Oregon Department of Transportation to fines tied to the Abernethy Bridge construction project.

The council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. As we reported Sept. 4, Mayor Rory Bialostosky directed staff at a Tuesday, Sept. 1, work session to draft a resolution ending the city's suspension of the ordinance for ODOT.

The suspension had shielded ODOT from the city's noise rules during the I-205 Abernethy Bridge improvement project.

Construction to seismically reinforce the bridge and widen the interstate began in 2022.

If the council removes the suspension, ODOT could face fines for exceeding noise limits.

The project was originally set for completion in fall 2026. ODOT told the council Sept. 1 that the new timeline is May 2027 at the earliest, with the end of 2027 as a backstop.

Councilor Kevin Bonnington said at the Sept. 1 work session that he personally visited the construction site several nights around 11 p.m. or midnight.

He measured peak noise at roughly 95 decibels, with average noise between 75 and 85 decibels.

"Would you want to live next to that?" Bonnington asked, according to Oregon City News Online.

Neighbors near the bridge have reported vibrations from heavy machinery, noise lasting until 3 a.m. and property damage. Resident Rachel Lena Esterline told the council her mother's home sustained $147,000 in foundation damage alone.

A neighbor's damage claim through ODOT was denied the morning of the Sept. 1 meeting, Esterline said.

ODOT Area Manager Vidal Francis acknowledged noise has been "a pretty big issue for this community" and said the agency has taken steps to reduce it.

Francis also confirmed that ODOT's major projects team, which initially oversaw the Abernethy Bridge work, has been dismantled.

Council President Mary Baumgardner pressed ODOT representatives on why residents were "crying in our council chambers" despite the agency's experience with similar projects.

The council agreed at the work session that ODOT has mismanaged both the project timeline and its relationship with the community.

Oregon City approved a similar noise exemption for ODOT.

Residents can check the city's online calendar for details on how to participate in the Sept. 8 meeting.