Drivers warned: I-5 shutdowns, detours coming
The I-5 widening project in Oregon began in 2024 and includes expanding the highway to three lanes in each direction in the Salem area.
Interstate 5 traffic has already shifted, and the speed limit has been reduced.
Beginning Thursday, Jan. 8, work on the Battle Creek Road Bridge will reduce I-5 near mile marker 250 to one lane in each direction from 9 p.m. through 5 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 9.
Additionally, full nighttime closures between Exits 248 and 252 are scheduled for Jan. 12-14.
These closures will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night with detours in place:
Northbound I-5 detour
- Take Exit 248 to Commercial Street SE
- Right on Kuebler Boulevard
- Merge onto northbound I-5
Southbound I-5 detour
- Take Exit 252 onto Kuebler Boulevard
- Left of Commercial Street SE
- Merge onto southbound I-5
All scheduled work is dependent upon weather and construction needs, the Oregon Department of Transportation said.
ODOT anticipates the following impacts moving forward:
- Southbound I-5 traffic to be shifted onto the former northbound lanes
- Northbound traffic to use Exit 249 and the former on-ramp as the new northbound lanes
- A single-lane connection from south Commercial Street to southbound I-5
- A concrete barrier between northbound traffic and vehicles coming from Delaney Road. Traffic coming from Delaney Road will not be able to access the Commercial Street ramp
- Wiltsey Street SE to be closed at the Battle Creek Road SE intersection until mid-2026. Traffic can detour around the closure by taking 36th Avenue SE north to Kuebler Boulevard
More information is available on the project website.
I-5 widening project
The first phase of the project will address the southbound bottleneck and traffic congestion along the hill south of Salem, Ore., ODOT said.
As part of the project, the bridge over the Commercial Street northbound off-ramp and the Battle Creek Road Bridge are being replaced. A new roundabout, paving and sound walls will also be included in the first phase.
In the mid-1980s, an environmental study was completed for the entire I-5 corridor from the Hayesville Interchanges to Battle Creek Road. The study was approved by the Federal Highway Administration as well as the state department of transportation in 1988.
This project is a result of that study. LL
Nationwide traffic updates are available on this Land Line resources page.