Topic: portland approves $400 million plant to cap I-5

[biker16]

$400 million plan to cap Interstate 5, connect Rose Quarter and Lloyd District moves forward

A stakeholder’s advisory committee voted 13-3 Thursday, with two undecideds, to approve a draft of a $400 million plan to improve surface streets, widen Interstate 5 and cap the freeway around Portland’s Rose Quarter.

The N/NE Quadrant and Broadway/Weidler Plans are a joint project of the State of Oregon Department of Transportation and the City of Portland. 

If funded the project would widen the shoulders of I-5 and add two new through lanes along a section from Interstate-405 to Interstate-84.

Streets around the Rose Quarter would be configured to improve traffic flow. The overpass at North Flint Avenue would be removed while pedestrians and bicyclists would be channeled into new raised paths and a dedicated bridge across the freeway at Northeast Clackamas Street.

A lid over the freeway, similar to the one in downtown Seattle, would stretch over I-5 from Northeast Broadway Street to Northeast Weidler Street.

A committee of advisors representing local neighborhoods, the Lloyd District and businesses like UPS have been deliberating on the plan for two years.

“I-5 has been a huge divide in this community for too long,” said committee member Justin Zeulner of Portland Arena Management.  Zeulner said the freeway lid and new bike and pedestrian bridge would help connect Lloyd District with the Rose Quarter and the riverfront. “This is critical for the future of our community.”
 
According to the state, the section of I-5 between the I-405 Bridge and the I-84 interchanges is the most accident-prone stretch of road in the state.

[unusualfire]

Interesting comment coming from the people of Portland. "A real City would be working, and planning, to expand their freeway systems, and road capacity, to accommodate its economic opportunity - while Portland continues to hinder economic development, by wasting money on Trolley's, Light Rail, Greenways, and bike infrastructure with the goal of limiting, and curbing economic opportunity. I5, I205, I405 and I84 should be 6-8 lanes minimum in each direction through Portland, and highways need to be expanded INCLUDING Hwy 26 east to Gresham."

[GCrites80s]

^Just like all those highways in West Virginia that turned it into an economic powerhouse. NOT

[Loretto]

^^ Seems a strange comment for a project that is primarily a lane expansion and anti-congestion measure.