The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) reports that road construction is under way on the I-5 corridor in south Salem, between Kuebler Boulevard at Exit 252 and Delaney Road at Exit 248.
ODOT is planning to shift both directions of I-5 traffic later this year so they can:
- Close a large portion of southbound I-5 to remove and replace the I-5 S. Commercial Street bridge.
- Build two sound walls.
- Widen the road to three lanes and pave.
Shifting traffic allows crews to work more efficiently, in a safer area and will allow them to do the work without closing lanes as often – which means less impacts to the traveling public.
What’s next? Plan ahead for traffic to shift
Starting this week, ODOT will close the Exit 249 I-5 off and on-ramps to prepare for shifting northbound traffic off of I-5 and onto the old OR 99E alignment using the ramps. During the two week full closure, they will be widening and paving the ramps.
Here’s what to expect over the next two weeks:
- 24/7 ramp closures through September 23.
- No access to I-5 northbound or Commercial Street from Delaney Road.
- Detours in place during the ramp closures.
- Crews working during the day or night.
Here’s what you can expect starting mid-September:
Once the road is widened, ODOT will shift northbound I-5 traffic onto this new alignment. Then they will start prepping for road before we can shift southbound traffic to the existing northbound lanes.
To do this, ODOT will build sections of road in the median to connect the existing southbound lanes to the existing northbound lanes.
You can expect:
- Crews working during the day and at night.
- Lane and shoulder closures as they work in the median.
- Construction noise.
- Vehicles coming from Commercial Street to have a new ramp that connects to the shifted southbound traffic.
ODOT estimates having both directions of traffic shifted in the next couple months and could last up to two years.
Impacts to the northbound I-5 ramp from Delaney Road
What to expect while I-5 traffic is shifted over the next several years:
- Vehicles coming from Delaney Road will merge onto I-5 northbound and will not be able to access the Commercial Street ramp.
- A hard barrier between northbound I-5 traffic and cars coming from Delaney Road. This will prevent Delaney Road traffic from accessing Commercial Street.
About the ODOT is doing
For this project, ODOT is planning to:
- Widen southbound I-5 from two to three lanes.
- Replace the southbound I-5 bridge over the northbound Commercial Street off-ramp.
- Realign the Battle Creek Road Bridge over I-5.
- Build two sound walls.
- Widen southbound I-5 to create a dedicated lane for the Delaney Road off-ramp.
- Apply new pavement and permanent striping to both southbound and northbound lanes in the project area.
Overall, during construction you can expect:
- Crews working during the day and at night.
- Shoulder and lane closures allowed at night.
- Shifted traffic lanes.
- Delays and detours.
- Construction noise
- Occasional ramp closures.
What’s happening on Interstate 5 RIGHT NOW! I-5 Real-time traffic information for selected cities along I-5. Maps show updates on road construction, traffic accidents, travel delays and the latest traffic speeds. Traffic cameras show congestion at a glance. Visit I-5 Traffic.
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