Construction on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project will begin this summer. Local contractors will start work rebuilding a portion of I-5, strengthening seismic resiliency and improving stormwater quality. This construction will promote diverse business and workforce participation and will provide safety and congestion improvements for the travelling public.

Jeff Moreland, owner of Raimore Construction, which is contracting on the project, said of the project at the Oregon Transportation Commission meeting on January 16, “We are looking forward to building this entire project. It not only fixes one of the worst bottlenecks and benefits the entire region, but it will inject economic opportunities into a community that desperately needs it.”

Over the next few years, ODOT will build the first portion of a new highway cover to better connect the neighborhood east and west of I-5, add a southbound auxiliary lane and shoulder from I-405 south to the Morrison Bridge exit, and extend an initial portion of the northbound auxiliary lane and shoulder under the highway cover.

When fully constructed, the project will address congestion in the state’s top bottleneck, reduce the existing high crash rate, reconnect the historic Albina neighborhood street network and allow for future community development on the highway cover. Major partners – including the City of Portland, Metro, Albina Vision Trust, and the Portland Trail Blazers and Rip City Management – have helped shape the project and have endorsed the full project.

“Thanks to amazing partnerships and perseverance, we are taking the first steps to deliver the complete project and re-connect a community cut in half by the freeway while also improving travel for those on I-5,” said Project Director Megan Channell.

City of Portland Deputy City Administrator for Community and Economic Development Donnie Oliveria said of the project at the OTC meeting on January 16, “Insuring investment in both the highway cover and transportation improvements will serve as a national model for how transportation infrastructure and community building can be done together to achieve inclusive economic growth and positive generational outcomes for the state and region.”

The project currently has about $850 million in state and federal funding. This amount includes funding dedicated by the legislature as part of House Bill 2017, a $450 million federal grant through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, and most recently an additional $250 million approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission on January 16. The federal grant awarded in March 2024 gives ODOT the ability to deliver on many of the core community reconnection aspects of the project. The total project cost is estimated to be $1.5 to $1.9 billion. ODOT and its partners have committed to make the full project a reality and deliver this innovative project’s many benefits to Oregonians.

“I want to thank the commission for standing by this project through difficult times, the Oregon Legislature for its original investment, and our partners for helping us design a truly extraordinary project,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler following the approval of the $250 million allocation from the OTC. “ODOT is committed to delivering this project in full. We will ensure our construction allows for future improvements as funding becomes available. We look forward to working with the Oregon Legislature during the 2025 legislative session to identify additional funding to finish the complete project.”

Source: ODOT