News

One month to go until southbound I-5 closure in Rose Quarter

If your travel includes central Portland Sept. 11 to mid-October, plan ahead

News media contact: David House, 503-551-8641 

Aug. 11, 2026 

PORTLAND – The one-month countdown starts today for the extended closure of southbound Interstate 5 in the Rose Quarter.

Southbound I-5 will close as part of the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project starting Friday, Sept. 11, for up to five weeks. Crews will repair and reinforce weak areas, replace bridge joints, repave the surface and repaint lane lines on the interstate.

Whether you are commuting or on a vacation trip, drive a car or truck, use TriMet, or walk or bike, we encourage you to plan ahead. I-5 is a major travel and freight corridor on the West Coast – especially in Portland where it meets another major corridor, Interstate 84, and Interstate 405 in the Rose Quarter.

“We evaluated several options on how to do this vital portion of the project, and the full closure is the quickest and most efficient way to do it,” ODOT Project Delivery Manager David Kim said. “Crews will work 24/7 and reopen the interstate as soon as the work is completed.”

Depending on the time of day, travel times may take two to three times longer than usual. Congestion could sometimes back up across the Columbia River into Washington and onto local streets in the Portland area.  

“Even if you don’t use I-5, your travel may be affected by the temporary changes in traffic patterns as people use alternate routes and different ways to get around,” Kim said. “So you might want to plan ahead and give yourself extra time..”

Whether you’re traveling locally or on a long-distance trip for work or pleasure, consider planning how to get around construction – before your trip. You might find an alternative that works for you from our list of alternate options here.

Find out more about the closure in this video.

 

About the project

Construction of the Rose Quarter project is being completed in phases as funding becomes available. Current work is focused on preserving existing infrastructure and preparing the project area for future construction. Funded construction will be complete by the end of 2029. 

The long-term goal is to improve safety and reduce congestion where three major interstates converge, and to reconnect the Albina neighborhood with the construction of a cover over a portion of I-5.

The 1.8-mile project area contains the only two-lane section of I-5 in a major urban area between Canada and Mexico. It has the highest crash rate on any urban interstate in Oregon and is the state's top traffic bottleneck.

An average of about 120,000 vehicles travel through this section of I-5 – including about 11,700 trucks carrying more than $100 million worth of goods, according to estimates.

Work planned for this closure

• The elevated structure just south of the Moda Center has ruts, cracks and potholes from decades of heavy use and weather, which leads to further structural degradation. Crews will remove the concrete surface layer, conduct critical structural repairs to the base layer and then replace the concrete surface.  
• The concrete was last replaced in 1985. The repairs will avoid further decay and more frequent, costly and emergency repairs.  
• At the same time, workers will continue making safety and seismic improvements that have been in construction since fall 2025. 

“Although we have not identified funding for the entire project, this first phase is a crucial step toward addressing the critical need to keep Oregon's people and economy moving safely on I-5,” Kim said.

For more information on the project and to sign up for email alerts, visit the project page.