ODOT to begin reopening southbound I-5 in Rose Quarter tonight
 ODOT Statewide Project Delivery Manager David Kim announces the planned reopening of southbound Interstate 5 in the Rose Quarter on Wednesday afternoon from the work zone.
Effective planning and around-the-clock work allowed structural repairs to be completed a week early
Newsrooms: Photos and video from the news conference will be posted here this afternoon
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Oct. 7, 2026
PORTLAND – Structural repairs and concrete replacement on an elevated section of Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter will finish well ahead of the five-week work window that began on Sept. 11, 2026.
Around 10 p.m. tonight, crews will begin the process to reopen I-5 and all the ramps. The bulk of the work will take up to 24 hours, while the removal of cones, barrels and all other traffic control equipment may take longer. The interstate is expected to start reopening to traffic midday Thursday, Oct. 8. During this time, some lanes and entrance ramps will remain closed as crews pick up all equipment and re-stripe the interstate.
There will be short-term closures of the Broadway exit lane, North Going Street on-ramp, North Alberta Street on-ramp, the I-405 southbound split from I-5 southbound (only after I-5 southbound is re-opened), and lanes of the exit ramp from I-84 westbound to I-5 southbound throughout the night as crews remove the temporary striping and reinstall the permanent striping in its original configuration.
Travelers are advised to use caution, obey speed limits and give workers space to safely finish work. TripCheck.com will have the latest information for route planning. The Oregon Department of Transportation will send an alert when I-5 south and all on and off ramps are completely open from N.E. Killingsworth Street south to the OMSI/City Center exit.
“Construction crews worked around the clock for the past four weeks to complete the work ahead of schedule,” said David Kim, ODOT’s Statewide Project Delivery Manager. “We would like to thank Hamilton Sundt Joint Venture in association with Raimore for their careful planning and safe execution of the closure. We are grateful for the hard work of the crews and partners in various trades that helped with specialized work during this closure. We are also appreciative of everyone in the Portland area whose actions and understanding were critical to the success of this closure. We want you to be patient a little longer. The best action the public can take to help the road open is to stay out of the area until the highway is officially open.”
Planning, partnerships and dry weather helped avoid worst-case scenario
Traffic delays as a result of closing I-5 southbound were significant, with rush hour increasing in duration, more traffic jams and significant traffic on the local network, showing just how many Oregonians rely on the interstate system to get to where they need to go every day.
The region did not experience the worst-case congestion scenario which had estimated that travelers could see commute times triple. There are several reasons for this, including effective pre-planning by agencies and organizations, valuable partnerships to get the word out and make adjustments during the closure, and travelers themselves who shifted their trips.
"In recent weeks we have seen how thousands of people left earlier or later than usual, took public transit or traveled on a different route than normal," said City of Portland Interim Deputy City Administrator for Public Works Millicent Williams. "Your actions made way for first responders and everyone else who had no choice but to drive. We are grateful to Portlanders for how you showed up through this impactful closure, for supporting local businesses, looking out for one another while traveling, and putting community and each other first."
Applying lessons learned from previous, shorter closures proved highly successful, Kim said. This included the use of three tow trucks staged in strategic locations to quickly clear disabled vehicles and crashes within 10-15 minutes, which prevented large back-ups from occurring. The construction team from Hamilton-Sundt Joint Venture had anywhere from 20 to 90 people working each 12-hour shift, including a mechanic and extra equipment to keep on schedule.
Weather conditions also allowed nearly continuous work with mild temperatures and only one day where a planned concrete pour needed to shift 24 hours due to heavy rain.
Work Completed During the Closure
Crews accomplished the following during the four-week closure period to extend the lifespan of the interstate, improve safety and create a smoother driving surface:
- Removed and replaced the structural concrete overlay just south of the Moda Center, along 2,000 linear feet of I-5 southbound. A total of 982 cubic yards of deck overlay concrete was placed.
- Repaired rebar to improve long-term structural integrity of the interstate with almost 3,000 linear feet of rebar installed.
- Replaced 27 bridge joints to increase the longevity of the highway structure.
- Created space near the I-84 off ramp at the Moda Center to extend the merging lane next year.
- Replaced and upgraded barriers and railings with taller ones that meet current safety standards.
- Relocated a sign for the Morrison/OMSI exit for better visibility.
ODOT maintenance crews were able to take advantage of the closure. They completed a variety of maintenance tasks that would typically require lane closures, including:
- Bridge inspections of I-5 Marquam Bridge and I-405 Fremont Bridge ramp.
- Graffiti cleanup and removal throughout the closure area.
- Repair and/or replacement of some lighting and beacons throughout the closure area, including ramp signal elements at N Greeley Avenue and N Williams Avenue.
- Vegetation and stormwater system maintenance.
- Barrier alignment.
The Rose Quarter work was delivered on budget. Because there were no significant weather delays or unforeseen conditions, ODOT was able to deliver the work within the original schedule and avoided any additional costs.
Traffic Observations and Impacts
Drivers used a variety of strategies to get where they needed to go including shifting travel to earlier or later in the day and changing routes.
Traffic tended to be heaviest on I-5, I-405, I-84 and I-205 between Tuesdays and Fridays with travel times reaching up to 2.5 times longer in some instances during peak hours. I-84 and I-205 saw noticeably longer rush hours compared to historical averages.
Some traffic travelling across the Columbia River, especially during peak hours, appeared to shift from the I-5 Interstate Bridge to the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge compared to August 2026 and September 2025 when looking at both I-5 and I-205 data.
Some workers took advantage of flexible work from home policies to decrease the number of people traveling.
Portland Bureau of Transportation observed slowdowns on some local streets and adjusted traffic signals to help keep traffic moving. This included North Interstate Avenue, North Going Street, North Greeley Avenue, North Vancouver Avenue, Northeast Martin Luther King Boulevard and North Mississippi Avenue. Overall, early data indicates drivers avoided greenways designed for pedestrians and bicyclists and kept to posted speed limits.
Tyler Graf with TriMet said they saw “more than 18,000 trips on the MAX Yellow Line during the first week of the closure, a pretty healthy boost in ridership.” The agency also saw more transfers at the Parkrose Transit Center, where riders who take Vancouver, Washington’s public transit system, C-TRAN, can board the MAX Red Line into downtown Portland.
Preliminary data shows that crash rates in the project area were similar to historical averages during the closure.
Traffic teams will be diving deeper into traffic data over the coming months and applying lessons learned to plan for the I-5 northbound closure in 2027.
Next Steps
Construction will continue as crews complete upgrades for seismic resiliency and finish replacing rails and barriers for safety. Single lane overnight closures and occasional local street closures in the Rose Quarter area will occur through next spring.
Planning will soon begin for a similar closure of I-5 northbound through the Rose Quarter that is expected to take place in summer 2027. More information about that closure will be available in spring.
Construction on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project will continue through 2029 on work that preserves existing infrastructure and prepares for future construction. ODOT continues to seek funding for the remainder of the project.
Feedback Welcome
ODOT is seeking feedback on communication and outreach efforts to prepare the community for the closure. Travelers, businesses and residents are invited to complete the survey by Friday, Oct. 23. https://www.surveyhero.com/c/i5closure
About the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project:
ODOT is improving safety and congestion where I-5, I-84, and I-405 converge and reconnecting the Albina neighborhood by constructing a highway cover over a portion of I-5. Visit the project website at i5rosequarter.org for more information.
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