Submitted by Oregon Department of Transportation
ODOT has postponed the I-5 Interstate Bridge Trunnion Replacement Project to keep the highway system as clear as possible for wildfire evacuees.
ODOT and WSDOT will be reaching out to contractors and the U.S. Coast Guard to discuss the new schedule.
The closure of the northbound span of the Interstate Bridge had been scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and last for nine days. The project would replace parts in the lift mechanism in south tower of the 103-year-old northbound span.
“ODOT and our many partners have put a lot of work into this project over the last few years and it absolutely needs to get done,” said Rian Windsheimer, ODOT manager for the Portland area. “But this closure would have created additional congestion and right now we need to keep the highways moving for evacuees and emergency responders.”
The $13 million project has been in the works for more than two years. It involves replacing lift span parts, some of them 103 years old, in the south tower on the northbound bridge, which opened in 1917. A similar project took place in 1997 on the north tower on the northbound span.
For those able to stay put, the best choice in this wildfire crisis is to stay off the roads. We need hope to prioritize the roads for evacuees and emergency responders.
Wildfire resources are available on the governor’s website. The site is being continuously updated.
For more information about the project go to the project web site.
Go to TripCheck.com for up-to-date real time road conditions.
