Overview

Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. Running parallel to the Pacific coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington, it serves several large cities on the U.S. West Coast, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle.

In Portland, the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project will add 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 also 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.

aerial view of project area

I-5Congestion

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 and buses 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.

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.

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.

Partial funding for design and construction phases was provided in HB 2017. The legislature authorized $30 million per year, beginning in January 2022, for the Project based on the estimated project cost of approximately $450 to $500 million (in 2017 dollars). To meet Section 27c requirements of Oregon’s HB2017, the Project provided a cost-to-complete (CTC) report to the Legislature by February 1, 2020.

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.

For more specific information about the project and how the project team is engaging with the community, please visit our FAQ and summary of past engagement.

Translate »