🚧 The I-5 closure is tomorrow

Are You Ready For the I-5 Closure?

The long-awaited closure of Interstate 5 starts tomorrow night — a two-mile stretch of southbound I-5 through the Rose Quarter will be closed around the clock for repairs. Here's what you need to know to prepare. [Oregonian]

• Details: The closure will start tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 11, around 10 p.m. and is expected to last five weeks. Southbound traffic will be detoured onto I-405, while all northbound I-5 lanes will remain open. Crews will make structural repairs and lay new concrete on the roadway surface — which hasn't been updated since 1985. [Oregonian]
• Delays: Officials are expecting widespread traffic congestion throughout Portland and into Washington, with travel times two to three times longer than usual — I-405 and U.S. 30 across the St. Johns Bridge have been flagged as trouble spots, especially during rush hour. Neighborhood traffic is also expected to increase across North and Northeast Portland, including on North Interstate Avenue, North Mississippi Avenue, and Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. [Oregonian]
• Check the Map: State officials have coordinated with Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze to ensure they account for the closure, and city officials have been working especially closely with Apple Maps and Google Maps to direct traffic from certain areas like neighborhood greenways. It is recommended to check routes before your daily commute because directions may shift day to day and, if possible, bike or take public transportation (TriMet will be running extra cars on essential MAX lines throughout the closure). [Oregonian]
• Resources: Find more information — including a map of anticipated congestion areas — on the city's Shift Your Trip page. [Portland.gov]

Thousands More May Primary Ballots Rejected

Data released this week shows a surge in rejected vote-by-mail ballots from Oregon's May primary election due to a late postmark. State leaders and elections officials point to consolidations and money-saving efforts by the U.S. Postal Service as a possible reason for the uptick. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is asking lawmakers for emergency funding to make ballot drop boxes more accessible in areas without them. Still, the Postal Service is urging people to vote early this fall (at least a week before Election Day). [Associated Press]

Gubernatorial Candidates Take Strong Stance Against Data Centers

Governor Tina Kotek and her Republican opponent, Sen. Christine Drazan, both announced their support for a statewide moratorium on new data centers this week, within hours of each other. This marks a change from Governor Kotek's previous approach of letting local governments decide their stance on data center development — similarly, Sen. Drazan last spoke out against a statewide moratorium in July. Data centers have increasingly become a point of tension between the two candidates throughout their campaign. [Oregonian]

Are Hot Dogs Trending in Portland?

Today on the podcast, we're talking about the new alliance between a conservative group and some local chefs — as well as a new trend of local bars serving hot dogs. Plus, we’ll be reading some listener emails. [City Cast Portland 🎧]