Motorists and public transport users in Portland brace for a series of disruptions over the weekend as city officials undertake extensive infrastructure maintenance, including a full westbound Interstate 84 closure and a shutdown of southbound Oregon 217. Starting at midnight yesterday and continuing until 4 p.m. today, I-84 will be closed from Interstate 205 to Interstate 5 for a broad range of maintenance activities, from graffiti removal to street maintenance.
According to KOIN, various agencies such as the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, and the City of Portland will be involved in the efforts along the highway. This closure, potentially causing headaches for some, "is also an opportunity for ODOT crews to get to some areas that are difficult to reach safely unless you close the highway," David House with the Oregon Department of Transportation told.
The weekend also features the Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade yesterday morning, which is expected to attract thousands of spectators downtown, with street closures beginning as early as 7 a.m., KXL reports. Transportation authorities recommend using transit to reach the parade, although TriMet's service along I-84 will be suspended during the freeway shutdown, with shuttle buses ferrying passengers between select transit centers.
Concurrently, OR 217's southbound passage will be out of commission, starting from Friday night until the early hours of tomorrow morning, for paving work. The full I-84 westbound lane closure coincides with significant MAX line closures, as crews construct a new staircase for the NE 82nd Avenue MAX station. Since eastbound I-84 isn't affected by this work, drivers should expect, some level of increased traffic on adjacent local streets, as westbound commuters seek alternative routes, according to Montavilla News.
This maintenance weekend comes after a similar closure on July 14, 2024, and officials aim to remove a significant amount of graffiti and refuse gathered along the roadside. For those relying on transit along the affected route, shuttle-bus information is to be made available to accommodate any inconvenience stemming from the closures.
