Gamblers Choke I-5 as New Ilani Casino Opens in Southwest Washington

KATU reports eight-mile long traffic jam on opening day for $510 million facility

By Nigel Jaquiss
I-5 jam on Monday, April 24. (KATU-TV)

If you have a family member, friend, colleague or employee who's mysteriously AWOL today, our news partners at KATU-TV may have found an explanation—the opening of the Cowlitz tribe's new Ilani Casino, which opened today.

Traffic reports show the opening of the Ilani has created an eight-mile traffic jam along I-5. That's impressive and a little frightening, seeing as it's a Monday and the casino is only 16 miles away from Portland.

Crowd outside Illani Casino on April 24, 2017. (KATU-TV)

Good luck, Oregon Lottery. You're going to need it.

Related: Portland Meadows and the Oregon Lottery Seek Answers for New Casino Across the Columbia River.

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Nigel Jaquiss

Nigel Jaquiss

Reporter Nigel Jaquiss joined the Oregon Journalism project in 2025 after 27 years at Willamette Week.

Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.

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