Southbound travelers through downtown Portland will face a significant detour beginning in early September as the Oregon Department of Transportation works on Interstate 5 near the Rose Quarter.
The elevated structure just south of the Moda Center has ruts, cracks and potholes from decades of heavy use and Pacific Northwest weather, which has led to structural dilapidation, according to a recent ODOT release. Crews plan to remove the concrete surface layer, conduct critical structural repairs to the base layer, and then replace the concrete surface. And this is going to take time. The current timeline begins Sept. 11 and will see southbound I-5 closed 24/7 for about five weeks.
ODOT hopes to cause as little traffic disruption as possible, but all southbound traffic will be diverted to Interstate 405 leading to slowdowns and congestion, especially during high-volume times. Interstate freeway traffic from Washington should use Interstate 205 to access points south of Portland…