The first of three weekend closures of Interstate 84 in Portland, Ore., will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, July 12 and end 5 a.m. Monday, July 15, as the Banfield Freeway paving project moves into high gear.

This weekend, travelers heading eastbound in Portland should expect delays and congestion on alternate routes through the city.   A variety of east-west routes are available during the closures, including Lombard Street, Columbia Boulevard, Sandy Boulevard, Burnside Street and Powell Boulevard. Expect heavier traffic than usual on the alternate routes.   This summer, ODOT will re-pave I-84 between Interstate 5 and Interstate 205, a distance of 5.5 miles. The pavement has become rutted and worn since it was last paved in 2002.
All work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled if there’s rain.   Here is the closure schedule.

• 10 p.m. Friday, July 12, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 15: All eastbound lanes will be closed for grinding and paving.

• 10 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 22: All westbound lanes will be closed for grinding and paving.

• 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5: All westbound lanes will be closed for sign installation and restriping.

In addition to the weekend closures, the contractor is allowed to use, if needed, up to four full weeknight closures of I-84 – two in each direction, one direction at a time – and nighttime single lane closures to complete the work.   The project will completely remove and replace the old pavement to improve safety and provide a smoother and quieter ride. The project will also pave I-84 ramps, install new signs, restripe the westbound merge with northbound I-5 to improve safety and traffic flow and repave the Northeast Halsey Street overpass at 82^nd Avenue.   Full weekend closures in one direction allow ODOT to complete the project more quickly, more safely and at a lower cost.

During the closure, ODOT maintenance crews will also perform work on the I-5 bridges leading to I-84, replace the bulbs in the lights that line the freeway, clean up graffiti and clear vegetation.   The I-84 paving project will be completed by the fall of 2013.   Get the latest information about changes to the schedule on the Web at www.i84paving.org or www.tripcheck.com.