I-5 Southbound Closure Hits Commuters | Portland News

0:00It's September 12th. This is Portland News Today, powered by AI. Alright, so listen up if you're planning on hitting I-5 Southbound near Portland's Rose Quarter anytime soon. Starting Friday night, those lanes are going to be shut down for a solid five weeks. We're talking major traffic jams and the backups could even spill over the bridge into Vancouver. This closure is all part of some construction work and officials are bracing for some serious delays. People are already talking about how this is going to mess with their daily grind, from getting to work to seeing family. Some folks are even considering changing their travel plans altogether to dodge the chaos. Imagine you're commuting or even tripling. That's the reality some people are facing and it's a tough pill to swallow when you've got places to be. It's a big ask for people to adjust their schedules, especially if it means leaving super early or finding entirely new ways to get around. The hope is that this is only for the five week period and that people can be resilient and flexible. But let's be real, any extended

1:01disruption like this is going to test everyone's patience. It's a significant inconvenience and is going to require some serious planning for those who rely on that route. So if you're in the area, buckle up, plan ahead and maybe explore some alternative routes. This is going to be a test of endurance for commuters and we'll all be watching to see how it plays out over the next month.