State officials on Thursday greenlit preliminary construction on the Rose Quarter project to begin next month even as they acknowledged the state has secured less than $500 million for the Portland freeway megaproject that could exceed $2 billion in total costs.
The initial phase of construction, which is set to begin Aug. 25, will primarily focus on improving road and bridge infrastructure in the area and upgrading stormwater treatment systems, according to officials at the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The Oregon Transportation Commission, which oversees the state transportation agency, unanimously voted Thursday to let the agency begin preliminary work for the project that would eventually widen and cap a portion of Interstate 5 through central Portland and significantly upgrade transportation infrastructure in the area…