News

Construction progress: New concrete placement begins

We’re at the end of the second week of the closure, and construction remains on schedule, with major milestones reached. Crews have completed more than 11,000 square yards of micromilling and hydrodemolition to remove the deteriorated top layer of concrete. All 28 bridge spans have also been inspected for areas of weakened concrete and crews have removed and repaired these deteriorated areas.

Construction crews pour concrete on a section of I-5 southbound.

Following the successful concrete pour on the I-84 off-ramp, crews started the first major I-5 mainline pour early Thursday morning; this section was completed by mid-day Thursday. Friday’s scheduled pouring was delayed due to heavy rain in the forecast, though concrete pouring will resume Saturday morning and continue through early next week. 

Since this section of I-5 is a bridge, extensive preparation is required to ensure that each pour goes well. One element of preparation is staging the deck-paving machine, which includes setting up equipment and work areas, and carefully covering bridge joints to prevent concrete from seeping into them.

Your questions, answered

Here are some of the top questions we’ve received in week two of the closure:

Q: Why don't you have a longer dedicated lane for traffic exiting I-5 southbound at the Broadway exit?

A: This is a safety issue. Allowing drivers to enter the exit ramp earlier could create a conflict at the split, where some drivers may try to move back into the mainline at the last moment. This can cause safety risks when traffic on the mainline is moving slowly, while drivers entering the exit ramp can quickly accelerate to 50 miles per hour. The large difference in speeds can increase the risk of conflicts and crashes. 

At the start of the closure, we observed several instances of this behavior, including some close calls. In response, we adjusted the available length of the exit ramp to reduce the opportunity for last minute lane changes and improve safety.

Q: Have you coordinated with other roadway construction projects in the area?

A: Multiple agencies have active projects to maintain the aging system, including the Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Bureau of Transportation, TriMet, and C-TRAN. We work together to coordinate traffic impacts as much as possible.

For example, project managers for projects throughout the region meet monthly to discuss upcoming traffic impacts and identify ways to address potential issues. During the current I-5 southbound closure, agencies are meeting twice a week to discuss traffic conditions, identify issues, and coordinate responses. This ongoing coordination helps minimize major backups while allowing needed improvements and maintenance to continue.

Q: What’s the best route for me to get from point A to point B?

A: Congestion will be hard to predict day to day during the closure, so navigation apps like Google, Apple, and Waze will be your best tools for figuring out the best and quickest routes for daily travel during the closure. We also encourage you to shift to alternate modes of transportation during the closure whenever possible. This can include carpooling, using public transit, or taking that bike out of storage. Finally, adjusting your travel time may help you avoid delays. We have created a travel resources page to help people plan their trips.