Expect major delays as I-5 construction begins in Portland's Rose Quarter

Travelers should plan for significant delays on Interstate 5 in Portland as construction begins Sept. 11 on the southbound lanes in the Rose Quarter.

The closure will impact a stretch of I-5 near the Moda Center on the east side of the Willamette River between Interstate 84 and Interstate 405, for up to five weeks.

That will allow crews to repave the road, replace bridge joints and make other needed repairs. The work is part of the multi-billion dollar Rose Quarter Improvement Project intended to address the bottleneck where I-5, I-84 and I-405 meet.

The project will widen I-5 and reconnect the Albina neighborhood with a new highway cover. It has been split into multiple phases and currently lacks funding for its entirety.

The current work and upcoming lane widening, currently scheduled for next summer, are funded.

Two other phases that would add merging lanes and the highway cover lack billions in funding needed to complete the work.

Drivers should expect travel time sto double or triple and backups could extend into Washington, the Oregon Department of Transportation has warned.

"We expect significant delays and unpredictable travel times for I-5 and I-405 – as well as many parallel and alternate routes in the city," ODOT Project Delivery Manager David Kim said in a statement. "Even if you don't usually use I-5 southbound, your travel times will be affected with travelers seeking different routes."

Crews will work around the clock to reopen I-5 quickly.

The full closure is expected to be in place by 10 p.m. on Sept. 11.

Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at  acmason@statesmanjournal.com  or 971-208-5615.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Expect major delays as I-5 construction begins in Portland's Rose Quarter