About

A highway cover is a structure built over a highway, similar to a very wide bridge. By replacing existing bridges with one continuous highway cover, new land space will be available for community development. In addition, the new cover will include seismic upgrades, making the structure over I-5 more resilient in the event of an earthquake.

An Independent Cover Assessment in 2020 through 2021 evaluated multiple designs for the proposed highway cover. The Proposed Hybrid 3 Cover Concept, now the current project design, received the strongest community support because it was viewed as the most effective in supporting the community's vision for a revitalized Albina neighborhood. The Historic Albina Advisory Board, Albina Vision Trust, the City of Portland, TriMet, Metro and Multnomah County all endorsed this highway cover design. In 2024, the project received federal approval from FHWA to proceed with this cover design, enabling the project to move into more detailed design and construction. 

The highway cover will connect streets that are currently divided by I-5 and add new land, allowing wider sidewalks and new spaces for community activities. Once built, the highway cover will be able to support buildings up to three stories, depending on the final design. It will also provide critical transportation access for community members and first responders.

Please note that this graphic is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a final design; the highway cover development process will be led by the City of Portland, in partnership with ODOT, with strong community involvement.

The highway cover will reconnect Hancock Street across I-5. Currently, there are few east-west connections over I-5 in the area. The community recommended the Hancock Crossing as an additional east-west connection for accessing current and future destinations in Lower Albina.

This new crossing will include space for people walking, biking and rolling, creating a safe and more connected option in the Albina neighborhood. It is aligned with the Central City 2035 Plan to develop and implement strategies to lessen the impact of freeways and other transportation systems on neighborhoods.

Local street improvements will make streets safer by offering greater visibility, protection and access to people walking, biking and rolling through the Rose Quarter area. Upgrades to sidewalks will include curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and additional street lighting. New protected bike lanes will add enough space for cyclists to move along the city's busiest bikeway. The goal of these improvements is to address Vision Zero safety priorities and ensure the community is more accessible.

The project includes the addition of a pedestrian and bicycle-only bridge over I-5 near the Moda Center that will enhance safety by reducing conflicts between cars and trucks and people walking, biking or rolling in the area. This project element was reincorporated into the project based on comments related to pedestrian safety received during the 2022 Supplemental Environmental Assessment public comment period.

Three interstates (I-5, I-84 and I-405) converge in the short distance between the Morrison and Fremont bridges. The closely spaced interchanges and narrow shoulders create the worst traffic bottleneck in the state of Oregon and the 28th worst freight bottleneck in the nation. This stretch of I-5 also has the highest crash rate of any Oregon urban interstate.

Ramp-to-ramp connections (auxiliary lanes) reduce vehicle weaving by creating safer merging opportunities and improved connections between interchanges. A recent ODOT study found that auxiliary lanes are an effective way to improve safety and reduce bottleneck congestion.

In the Portland metro area, ODOT has completed or is planning to complete auxiliary lane projects on I-5 and I-205. For example, a new auxiliary lane addressed the I-5 southbound bottleneck from OR 217 to I-205, improving traffic flow. At the section of highway where the auxiliary lane was added, congestion was reduced from five hours a day to one hour a day, saving drivers an estimated $8.4 million of delay each year.

With a new auxiliary lane in each direction on I-5 from I-84 to I-405, drivers will experience a safer, more reliable experience and less potential for crashes. Adding full shoulders will provide space for vehicles to move safely off the road and allow emergency vehicles safer and quicker access to an emergency.

The project will relocate the I-5 southbound off-ramp from Vancouver/Broadway to the south, connecting with NE Williams Avenue and NE Weidler Street.

In response to public comments made during the project’s Supplemental Environmental Assessment, a new design (dubbed the "Flyover") will reroute two-thirds of the I-5 off-ramp traffic to the east of I-5. This design makes walking, biking and rolling safer; reduces car and transit delays; supports redevelopment opportunities for the Albina community; and maintains similar Moda Center event access. See the Flyover Design Fact Sheet for more information.