Ongoing bridge work in downtown Portland is likely to cause traffic congestion on southbound Interstate 5 up to Hayden Island this weekend.
From midnight tonight and continuing until possibly 4:30 a.m. Monday, April 24, southbound I- 5 will be closed between the Marquam Bridge and North Broadway in Portland. The Morrison Bridge will be closed for the same period.
“We’re doing the work on the weekend because traffic is lighter,” said Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Don Hamilton.
“Hopefully, motorists will understand this is a temporary inconvenience,” he added.
Southbound drivers should plan to use alternate routes. People driving from Washington should consider using Interstate 205 to get into Portland. Drivers should also consider using surface streets or, if possible, riding public transit.
The same portion of the highway was closed for work last weekend as well. While there were backups, Hamilton said people were proactive about finding different routes.
During the closure, drivers will be diverted to Interstate 405 southbound to reach I-5 south of downtown Portland. A lane of I-5 south will be open for travelers to access I-84 east.
Also, during the Trail Blazers game on Saturday the on-ramp to I-84 east from the Moda Center will be open for people leaving the event.
The freeway will be closed again between Friday, May 5 to Monday, May 8 and Friday, May 12 to Monday, May 15, but the northbound, not the southbound, lanes will be closed.
Closing the Interstate allows for contractors to repair the underside of the Burnside Bridge, which spans the freeway. Segments of concrete are degraded to the point where they are at risk of falling onto the road below.
The closures also allows Oregon Department of Transportation crews to work on the closed section of the freeway, including paving, survey, electrical inspection and seismic work.
The Morrison Bridge closure is a different project undertaken by Multnomah County. Crews on that project are replacing the deck on the lift span.
More information is available on the Burnside Bridge is available here.
Information on the Morrison Bridge project is available here.
