Work will begin, possibly as early as June, to replace two aging bridge joints on the northbound side of the Interstate 5 Boone Bridge in Wilsonville.

The project will require lane and ramp closures of northbound I-5 at the bridge overnight this summer and fall. Crews will close three lanes on I-5 northbound and the Miley Road entrance ramp near Charbonneau from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. These closures are expected five nights per week during construction.

During the final phase of construction, there will be up to four nighttime closures from midnight to 4 a.m. while crews place the new joints.

We expect to complete the work by the end of October.

Background

After repeated repairs since 2008, the two bridge joints are in critical need of replacement. They have previously malfunctioned, creating safety issues for travelers and requiring unplanned maintenance work with travel lane closures. Our maintenance team has been inspecting them every two weeks.

Work to replace these bridge joints will be happening this summer and fall. Installing new bridge joints improves safety for drivers and reduces maintenance costs. New bridge joints also reduce our environmental impact by sealing off the joint and decreasing stormwater runoff into the river.

The bridge carries an average of about 120,000 vehicles per day.

For more information about the joint replacement, visit the Boone Bridge Joint Replacement Project page.

Construction Impacts

Work is expected to begin as early as June for up to 15 weeks. We evaluated options on how to install the new bridge joints and selected the option that keeps travel lanes open during the day. Construction impacts include:

Nighttime Lane and ramp closures: For up to 15 weeks this summer and fall, crews will close three lanes on I-5 northbound and the Miley Road I-5 northbound entrance ramp near Charbonneau from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. These closures are expected five nights per week during construction.
Nighttime closures of all northbound lanes: During the final phase of construction, there will be up to four nighttime closures from 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. while crews install the new bridge joints. Ramps near the closure will also close.

Detour Routes

During I-5 northbound closures travelers will be routed off I-5 northbound at exit 278 Donald Aurora. They will take Ehlen Rd east to OR 99E, and go northbound to the I-205 onramp in Oregon city. Then they can go southbound on I-205 to reconnect with I-5 northbound.

Investigatory work also this summer

ODOT is also exploring a plan to replace the existing Boone Bridge with a new one that can withstand a major earthquake. This summer, there will be a geotechnical investigation of the area. This includes drilling at the ends of the bridge, in the southbound shoulder and under the bridge. There is no timeline for replacement since both design and construction are not currently funded.

Visit tinyurl.com/BooneBridge for more information on the exploratory work.

Source: ODOT

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