The Oregon Department of Transportation announced Wednesday afternoon that a construction project that closed Interstate 5 southbound through Portland’s Rose Quarter would wrap early.

Crews will begin reopening lanes around 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The construction and repairs to I-5 started on Friday, Sept. 11, and were expected to last for five weeks.

ODOT officials said mild weather and minimal disruptions to construction helped the project end about a week ahead of schedule.

Officials also said they would continue working and cleaning up in the area for up to 24 hours after the lanes start to reopen.

Crews worked 24 hours a day to replace old concrete and make the 2-mile stretch of road more earthquake-ready.

Traffic on I-5 and nearby streets during the closure was not as bad as originally predicted, because many people changed their travel habits during the closure.

Transportation officials expected commute times to potentially triple if drivers continued using the same routes, but traffic conditions stabilized after the first couple of weeks as people adapted.

This story will be updated.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/07/portland-interstate-5-southbound-closure-ending-lanes-reopening/