Portland Metro Freeway/Highway/Roads News and Discussions

[PhillyPDX]

What’s with the recent construction along I5 near Moda Center? They’ve cleared all vegetation along the highway slopes, and there are construction detours in the area. Almost feels like pre-work for rose quarter freeway construction. But then that isn’t funded, correct?

Best I can find is this:

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Regions/Documents/WeeklyConstructionUpdate-Jan10-17.pdf

Have they allowed progress to start on early work while waiting on funding for the entire package?

[truebaru]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

What’s with the recent construction along I5 near Moda Center? They’ve cleared all vegetation along the highway slopes, and there are construction detours in the area. Almost feels like pre-work for rose quarter freeway construction. But then that isn’t funded, correct?

Best I can find is this:

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Regions/Documents/WeeklyConstructionUpdate-Jan10-17.pdf

Have they allowed progress to start on early work while waiting on funding for the entire package?

They decided to move forward as scheduled even though funding isn't clear:

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/11/r...egon-transportation-commission-portland/

I believe this is mostly to prevent burning bridges with Albina Vision Trust, which I think is a good thing.

Another addition is that this was chosen over an alternative that would have prioritized putting the funding towards widening over the highway caps. Another reason I think this is a good thing (relative to alternatives given funding challenges).

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by truebaru

They decided to move forward as scheduled even though funding isn't clear:

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/11/r...egon-transportation-commission-portland/

I believe this is mostly to prevent burning bridges with Albina Vision Trust, which I think is a good thing.

Another addition is that this was chosen over an alternative that would have prioritized putting the funding towards widening over the highway caps. Another reason I think this is a good thing (relative to alternatives given funding challenges).

Oh interesting. Wasn’t tracking any of it was moving forward. The public mindset from the PPS - Tubman middle school perspective of the project is it’s dead in the water.

[truebaru]

Oregonian Article

Previous cost estimates were $2 billion. Officials are saying the more funding is limited and the more the project is split into pieces, the more it will cost.

I like this project so I'm sad about this.

[maccoinnich]

Interstate Bridge Replacement Project issues $3.9B RFQ



The multi-billion-dollar Interstate Bridge Replacement issued a request for qualifications for an early phase of the project.

The RFQ, part of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, is seeking design-build proposals for a new multi-modal bridge over the Columbia River between Multnomah County and Clark County. The RFQ lists the estimated the value of the work as between $3.3 billion and $3.9 billion.

RFQ documents show the selected party through a progressive design-build contract will handle the design, permitting and construction for "two new multimodal fixed span bridges and approaches for northbound and southbound travelers across the Columbia River."

The project scope also includes a shared-use path and a separate light rail-compatible deck along with the demolition of the existing bridge.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.