PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — With a month to go before an extended shutdown of southbound Interstate 5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter, transportation agencies are warning travelers to plan ahead for major delays and ripple effects across local streets and transit routes.
The Oregon Department of Transportation said southbound I-5 will close starting Friday, Sept. 11, for up to five weeks as part of the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. The closure will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from Interstate 405 to Interstate 84.
ODOT said crews will repair and reinforce weak areas, replace bridge joints, repave the surface and repaint lane lines. Work will include removing the concrete surface layer on the elevated structure just south of the Moda Center, making structural repairs to the base layer and replacing the concrete surface. ODOT said the concrete was last replaced in 1985. Workers also will continue safety and seismic improvements that have been underway since fall 2025…