Overview

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project adds auxiliary lanes and shoulders to reduce congestion and improve safety on I-5, the main north-south freeway on the west coast. It also redesigns the multimodal local street network.

The project will smooth traffic flow on I-5 between I-84 and I-405 where three interstates intersect and feature the biggest traffic bottleneck in Oregon. The project will improve community connections by redesigning overpasses and reconnecting neighborhood streets, enhancing public spaces, and promoting economic development opportunities.

The project’s transportation improvements allow the City to implement the development goals for the N/NE area and realize the City’s Central City 2035 Plan.

The project is located in the Portland Metro Area on Interstate 5.

Did you know ?

I-5 between I-405 and I-84 has 3.5 times more crashes than the statewide average and some of the highest traffic volumes in the state.
I-5 in the Rose Quarter has traffic congestion for 12 hours each day. As congestion and safety issues increase, travel on I-5 between I-84 and I-405 becomes less reliable for drivers and freight movement.
The highway lacks full shoulders in many spots, making it difficult to clear even minor accidents and tough for emergency vehicles to respond quickly.
Some of the existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the project area are challenging to navigate, such as crossing highway on- or off-ramps. Many are undersized or incomplete.

Project benefits

Reduce crashes on I-5 by up to 50%.
Save drivers nearly 2.5 million hours of travel time per year on I-5 in the Rose Quarter.
Allow emergency responders to move to and through I-5 on new shoulders.
Provide more time and space to merge in and out of traffic for
smoother traffic flow on I-5.
Improve walking and safe access to transit through sidewalk improvements for people walking or rolling.
Build new protected bike lanes with sufficient space for the city’s busiest bike way.
Contract with minority-owned Disadvantaged Business Enterprises to increase opportunities for a diverse workforce.
Create a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge over I-5 to enhance travel within and through the Rose Quarter.

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Many pedestrian and bicycle improvements are proposed throughout the project area. This draft concept would be designed to reflect public input and technical information, such as city zoning.

Learn more

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project builds on insights gleaned through multiple past planning processes and ongoing community engagement. See the project history and timeline below to explore resources throughout this site. We invite you to stay involved by joining our email list, attending events and sharing your ideas with the project team.

Project history

After extensive public engagement and a unique collaborative partnership, ODOT and the City of Portland combined parts of the N/ NE Quadrant Plan and the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan to create the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project was adopted by Portland City Council and approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission in October 2012. Public engagement and partnership continued through the environmental phase and the release of the project’s Draft Environmental Assessment in February 2019 followed by a 45-day public comment period, and will continue into future project work.

During the N/NE Quadrant Plan and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan process, together with a 30-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC), ODOT and the City evaluated over 70 design concepts and narrowed the scope of freeway improvements to accommodate and incorporate modifications to the local system in line with the City’s land use planning goals. During this planning effort, ODOT and the City engaged with over 2,800 individuals and held 19 SAC meetings, 14 subcommittee meetings, four open houses, and over 85 community briefings and walking tours.

During the environmental review phase of the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, engagement activities included interviews with Black Portlanders and communities of color, work with a 14-member Community Liaisons Group to inform outreach, project presentations at over 100 events and community gatherings, nine hosted events with more than 280 attendees, community walking and biking tours, door-to-door outreach with over 60 businesses, a public hearing, updates via the project website and newsletters, and a 45-day public review and comment period on the draft Environmental Assessment.

The project team continues to intentionally listen, inform, and engage with communities of color, especially the historically impacted African American community, the primary community displaced by past public and private development decisions. Transparent, inclusive engagement will be a central feature of the project through design and construction.

Public engagement

1987

ODOT works to address safety concerns on I-5 and the local street network in the Albina neighborhood with the Greeley Ramp-North Banfield Section Study.

1990—1996

ODOT studies and publishes the Greeley Ramp-North Banfield Modified Concept.

2005

ODOT publishes the Freeway Loop Study.

2007

ODOT studies and publishes the I-5: I-84 to I-405 Design Workshop Concept Report.

2010

ODOT, PBOT and BPS initiate a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to co-develop land use and transportation concepts for the N/NE Quadrant.

2010—2012

The SAC holds 9 public events, 3 briefings to the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC), 19 stakeholder meetings and 13 subcommittee meetings to develop recommendations for the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Interchange Plans.

2014

Metro adopts the project in its 2014 Regional Transportation Plan.

2016

ODOT publishes further analysis of the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Interchange Plan.

2017

Oregon legislators pass House Bill 2017 “Keep Oregon Moving” which partially funds the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and ODOT initiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review.

2018

City of Portland adopts the Central City 2035 Plan and 2035 Transportation System Plan which both include the project. In addition, Metro includes the project in its 2018 Regional Transportation Plan.

2019

ODOT releases the NEPA Environmental Assessment (EA) and holds a 45-day comment period. ODOT releases the Cost to Complete Report.

2020

ODOT issues notice of intent to award a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC).

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