Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington to close in September

Truckers who use Interstate 5 near Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., may need to adjust their trip in late September as it will be closed for bridge work. Night closures begin soon.

Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington will be shut down in the coming weeks as crews begin work on the Interstate Bridge. Starting Aug. 17 through Aug. 20, motorists should expect nighttime closures going both directions. One-lane closures will start at 8 p.m. A second lane may be closed by crews at 10 p.m. All closed lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. the next morning.

However, that is just the beginning of lane closures. From 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 12 through 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 20, the northbound portion of the Interstate Bridge will be closed. Crews will be replacing mechanical parts that raise and lower the bridge.

During the Interstate 5 closure, northbound and southbound traffic will use the three lanes and sidewalk on the southbound portion.

Movable concrete barriers will allow two lanes of traffic to travel in the heaviest direction. Two southbound lanes will open for the morning commute and two northbound lanes will open for the afternoon commute. The sidewalk on the southbound side will remain open at all times for people pedestrians and cyclists.

During the closure, four ramps in the area will close for traffic control and to ensure a safe work zone:

• Marine Drive on-ramp to Interstate 5 north in Portland.
• Hayden Island on-ramp to Interstate 5 north in Portland.
• Interstate 5 north to SR 14 off-ramp in Vancouver.
• SR 14/Washington Street on-ramp to I-5 south in Vancouver.

The Marine Drive detour will take motorists to Interstate 5 south to Exit 306, turning right onto North Victory Boulevard and then left for the on-ramp to Interstate 5 northbound. The Hayden Island detour includes taking Exit 306, turning right onto North Victory Boulevard and left for the on-ramp to Interstate 5 northbound. For the I-5/SR 14 detour, take Exit 1D for Fourth Plain Boulevard, turn left onto East Fourth Plain Boulevard, right to merge onto Interstate 5 south and take Exit 1A to SR 14 east.

From downtown Vancouver, the SR 14/Washington Street detour involves turning right onto Columbia Street, right onto Mill Plain Boulevard and right for the on I-5 south on-ramp. Lastly, the SR 14/Washington Street detour from SR 14 west involves merging onto the interstate northbound, take Exit 1D for Fourth Plain Boulevard, left onto Fourth Plain Boulevard, then turn right to merge onto Interstate 5 south.

From Sept. 21 through Sept. 27, the left lane on the southbound portion will be closed.

During this time, crews will upgrade the median barrier, remove equipment and finish the project.

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, motorists should expect nighttime lane closures on Interstate 5, up to 30-minute bridge lifts on Interstate 5 north and nighttime ramp closures between Victory Boulevard in Portland and SR 14 in Vancouver before and after the September closures.

For up-to-date traffic info in the area, go to TripCheck.com. For more information about the Interstate Bridge project, click here.