PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — As a five-week I-5 closure through Portland’s Rose Quarter begins, drivers and emergency responders are preparing for longer trips, crowded detours and heavy backups across the region.
Here is a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the project.
1) Why is I-5 closing?
The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project aims to reduce crashes and ease traffic at the busy junction of three major freeways. It also aims to reconnect the Albina neighborhood by building a highway cover over part of I-5.
The project spans about 1.8 miles through the Rose Quarter, including I-5’s only two-lane segment in a major city between Canada and Mexico. State transportation officials say it is Oregon’s most significant urban freeway bottleneck and has the highest crash rate of any urban interstate in the state.
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2) What are some good alternate routes for drivers to take?
Rose Gerber, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, says that I-405 is the primary detour for the closure for those coming from the north. She says before you get to the interstate bridge, take 205 if you’re expecting to go through Portland…