Portland drivers have two weeks to plan before all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 shut down through the Rose Quarter for up to five weeks.

The closure begins at 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, and will stretch between Interstate 405 and Interstate 84, according to an ODOT press release issued Aug. 27. About 120,000 vehicles pass through the corridor daily in both directions, according to the agency.

City Administrator Raymond Lee said the impacts will reach well beyond the freeway. "Everyone needs to think about when, where, and how they travel through the city," Lee said at a Aug. 27 news conference covered by KGW. Lee warned routes as far as Northeast 33rd Avenue could back up, with congestion running from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ODOT said travel times could balloon to two or three times longer than normal. Backups may stretch across the Columbia River into Vancouver, Washington.

What's closing

Southbound I-5 traffic will detour over the Fremont Bridge via I-405 southbound. Regional through-traffic is directed to use I-205. One lane of southbound I-5 will remain open to the Broadway exit near the Moda Center.

On-ramps from Alberta Street, Greeley Avenue and the northbound I-405/Fremont Bridge will also close. I-84 westbound to I-5 southbound and all northbound I-5 lanes remain open.

Alternatives and transit

TriMet Executive Director Mary Hill said the MAX Yellow Line, which runs parallel to I-5 from the Moda Center to downtown, may be the best option for bypassing the closure. TriMet plans to add MAX trains with greater passenger capacity during the five weeks, KGW reported.

Hill warned that bus travel will take longer because of spillover traffic.

The city is also offering discounts on e-bike and scooter rides, though specific discount amounts and participating providers have not been announced. Portland has set up a "Shift Your Trip" website at portland.gov/transportation/shift to help residents plan alternate routes.

Why a full closure

The concrete surface of the elevated roadway was last replaced in 1985, well beyond its expected 25-year lifespan. Crews from Hamilton-Sundt Joint Venture will work 24/7 in three shifts to repair weak areas, replace bridge joints, repave the surface and repaint lane lines.

ODOT said the full closure saves up to $9 million compared to intermittent overnight or weekend closures. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews will delay all non-emergency street work in the affected area to avoid adding to congestion, Lee said.

Nearby residents should expect loud construction noise around the clock for the duration.

What's next

The freeway is on track to reopen within five weeks, around mid-October, if work stays on schedule, according to ODOT. The agency expects to close northbound lanes for similar work in mid-to-late 2027. The closure is part of the larger I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, which has received about $480 million of an estimated $2.08 billion total cost, according to OPB.