Hillsboro-area drivers heading into Portland face travel times two to three times longer than normal, according to ODOT, starting Friday, Sept. 11, when all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 close for up to five weeks.
The 1.8-mile stretch between Interstate 405 and Interstate 84 at Portland's Rose Quarter shuts down at 10 p.m. Friday for round-the-clock construction, OPB reported. About 120,000 vehicles use that corridor daily, including 11,700 trucks hauling more than $100 million in goods.
The timing is especially bad for Washington County. Cornelius Pass Road, a key freight route into Hillsboro, is already closed at the Multnomah-Washington County line for a bridge replacement over Rock Creek. That closure runs through Sept. 29, according to the Beaverton Beat.
Two major routes gone at once.
"Cornelius Pass is currently under construction," Bridgetown Trucking CEO Dave Chalmers told OPB. "That is a main path to Hillsboro and it's closed!"
Chalmers, whose company runs 35 trucks around Portland, said he spent eight months mapping alternative routes through I-405 and OR 217. He expects congestion to rank a seven out of 10. Drivers who normally work eight-hour shifts could face 11-hour days, he said, and he is considering adding a graveyard shift to move freight when roads are quieter.
Oregon Trucking Association CEO Jana Jarvis warned in an Aug. 28 KGW report that the twin closures would hit the region hard. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Communications Director Hannah Schafer said congestion will likely back up into Washington County and onto local Portland streets. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) expects the worst delays between 6:30 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 8:30 p.m.
What Hillsboro commuters should know
ODOT's official detour sends southbound traffic onto I-405 over the Fremont Bridge. Drivers who do not need central Portland should use I-205 instead. Heavier traffic is also expected on U.S. 30 across the St. Johns Bridge.
For Hillsboro residents, the MAX Blue and Red lines offer a direct connection to downtown Portland. TriMet will run two-car trains carrying 330 people throughout the closure. The Delta Park/Vanport Park & Ride on the Yellow Line has 304 spaces, and the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center has 480 garage spaces plus 210 surface-lot spots.
ODOT Interim Director Chris Warner said keeping one lane open would have meant daily hours-long jams for up to four months. Weekend closures would have stretched past two summers. Keeping the freeway partially open would have added $6 million to $9 million to the project cost.
Why the road is closing
Crews will resurface pavement that has not been replaced since 1985, earthquake-proof overpasses, install new signage, build an expanded passing lane and improve storm drains. This $75 million first phase is part of the broader I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, estimated at $1.96 billion to $2.08 billion. Northbound lanes will close in the same area next summer.
The highway closes after a Weezer concert at the Moda Center on Friday night. ODOT project delivery manager David Kim said the last ramp to shut will be the I-5 southbound on-ramp at Wheeler Avenue so concertgoers can leave first.
If work stays on schedule, the freeway could reopen by mid-October. Drivers can check conditions at TripCheck.com and i5RoseQuarter.org.
