Southbound Interstate 5 has been reopened at the Interstate 5 Bridge following a nearly four-hour shutdown due to a fatal crash involving a pedestrian.
The Portland Police Bureau reported that a pedestrian was struck mid-span on the southbound bridge. Police said later Friday that the pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle stopped and cooperated with officers. There were no arrests or citations, according to the police bureau.
Authorities have not identified the victim. The bureau’s Major Crash Team is continuing to investigate.
The state Department of Transportation reported that the bridge’s lanes were closed at 8:10 a.m. An alert was sent out at 11:55 a.m. stating the scene was cleared and the lanes were open once again.
Drivers heading south into Oregon were rerouted to state Highway 14 and onto Interstate 205 farther north on the freeway. As the scene was being clear, the transportation department urged drivers to avoid the area and expect delays.
Traffic maps showed stop-and-go traffic backing up to state Highway 500 on I-5 shortly after the crash, but the line of cars quickly abated following the reopening.
However, traffic on I-205 remained slow-going all the way north to Salmon Creek as of 12:20 p.m., and cars were backed up on eastbound Highway 14. Traffic improved over the next hour.
