PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – If you plan on heading through the Portland area this weekend, you may want to re-think your plans or add extra time to your travel as a portion of I-5 will be closed.
About four miles of I-5 will be shutting down beginning Friday night so that the bridge on 26th, which carries more than 100,000 cars a day, can get a face-lift.
According to ODOT, the deck over 26th Ave. in southwest Portland is worn out and nearing the end of its life. The new deck will be a smoother ride for drivers and have new bike lanes.
To cater to the new look, a four-mile stretch of I-5 will be closed in both directions beginning Friday night for construction.
The $13 million project began more than a year ago using a new construction method. ODOT says crews built the new bridge underneath the existing one.
This not only saved the project $5.5 million and 6 months’ worth of work but allowed this portion of I-5 to remain open, reducing the impact on traffic.
![Here’s how to detour around the Portland I-5 closure 2 ODOT I-5 Ramp Closures](https://gray-kptv-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XC4UIWWTFRCNFD7C5RDCWPY5NU.png?auth=9b0fc1bfe8a6fa42ed66e4a3c7c4c9e6c14b7c110cabb789bf8ab6c7611a8378&width=980&height=549&smart=true)
The four-mile stretch- from SW Terwilliger to Capitol Highway will close between the SW Barbur Blvd. off-ramp and the SW Terwilliger Blvd. on-ramp.
Seven on-ramps will be closed on I-5 northbound and two on the southbound side.
![Here’s how to detour around the Portland I-5 closure 3 Portland I-5 detours](https://gray-kptv-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4SKV4I5N7VELJI4UGY5HPAHVEQ.png?auth=ce81d0d4728d26dadefbcd482517b9b25de0eb4f339f694cedfe0fa17ad125e5&width=980&height=551&smart=true)
If you need to go through the Portland area, you can take 217 through Tigard to Hwy 26 or take the east side using I-205 though Clackamas to I-84 through northeast Portland.
I-5 is scheduled to reopen around 5 a.m. on Monday morning, July 1, 2024.
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