Interstate 5 Bridge lane closures about to begin

Nighttime lane closures will begin next week on the Interstate 5 Bridge, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Transportation, in preparation for the planned trunnion replacement project in September.

Drivers should expect to encounter delays due to one- or two-lane closures Monday through Thursday nights in both directions of Interstate 5. Single-lane closures will begin at 8 p.m. and crews could close a second lane starting at 10 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. the following morning.

The trunnion replacement project is scheduled to close the bridge’s northbound span to all traffic Sept. 12-20. Northbound and southbound traffic will both use the three-lane southbound span during the closure, with the central lane serving as a reversible rush hour lane.

The closure is expected to cause significant traffic congestion and delays, and ODOT is urging commuters to plan ahead and avoid crossing the bridge if possible, particularly during rush hour.

Crews next week will begin working on the median at both ends of the bridge to allow northbound traffic to cross over to the southbound span. They will also begin to build falsework under the northbound bridge’s lift span to support it during the trunnion replacement.