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| Interstate 5 |
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| Pacific Highway |
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Oregon’s portion of Interstate 5 runs the north/south length of the state from the Columbia River to the California border. It is Oregon’s busiest portion of interstate; average daily traffic volume tops 124,500 vehicles on some sections of the 308-mile long highway.
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I-5, also know as the Pacific Highway, was the first portion of Oregon’s interstate highway system to be completed. A dedication ceremony was held Oct. 22, 1966.
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| Interesting Facts |
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Myrtle Creek-Canyonville
The 10.2-mile portion of I-5, initially known as the Fords Bridge Unit and later referred to as the Myrtle Creek-Canyonville segment, was the first section contract of interstate in Oregon to be awarded following the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Act. The contract was finalized on September 27, 1956, and construction was completed in 1959 at a cost of $5,500,000. The Myrtle Creek section, nestled between a large cut to the west and the Umpqua River to the east, follows a sharply curved route that still requires flashing lights and signed speed reductions. As the road straightens out south of Myrtle Creek toward Canyonville, it follows essentially flat bottomland before sweeping along a bend in the South Umpqua River that was documented as an early postcard view.
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Medford Viaduct
Among the more unique elements of the interstate in Oregon is the Medford Viaduct, a 3,229-foot-long steel beam and girder bridge that carries the highway corridor through the middle of that city as an elevated freeway rather than one at grade. The construction of the viaduct was among the more controversial and protracted of the siting decisions outside the Portland area.
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Siskiyou Pass
The southernmost sections of I-5, beginning at Steinman, south of Ashland, and continuing to the California-Oregon border, include some of the steepest interstate grades in the nation. Construction of the interstate south of Ashland was entirely on a new roadbed cut through the mountains, making this among the most challenging and expensive portions of the Oregon interstate road outside the Portland metropolitan area. At its peak, the Siskiyou project had more than 600 workers on the job, moving 75,000 cubic feet of road-building-related material every day.
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Final segments
The last links in the I-5 chain had come together in time to meet the 1966 deadline set by Governor Mark Hatfield. The Marquam Bridge, connecting the Baldock Expressway and East Bank Freeway across the Willamette in Portland, was opened to traffic on October 18, 1966. Four days later, on October 22, 1966, a dedication ceremony was held at the Cow Creek Safety Rest Area, south of Canyonville, in Douglas County, celebrating the completion of I-5.
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| Recent Accomplishments |
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- 2001: Added new flyover interchange ramp to interchange at OR 217 and I-5
- 2003: In N. Portland on I-5, repaved eight miles at a cost of $24 million
- Added�a new exit ramp from I-5 to Coburg Road in Eugene/Springfield to prevent backups onto the highway during peak usage
- Raised the Battlecreek Road over crossing bridge on I-5 south of Salem, preventing high profile vehicles from hitting the bridge and causing accidents
- Constructed ten miles of new southbound lanes on I-5 between North Albany and North Jefferson, including replacing aged bridges, building new interchange ramps and rebuilding the travel lanes
- Built temporary detour bridges on I-5 over the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers to replace bridges that had growing shear cracks, forcing the bridges to be load-restricted
- Added an I-5 northbound variable message sign at Lake Creek in Linn County to advise motorists of road conditions or emergencies
- 2003: Added a new deck and rail on the nearly half-mile long I-5 Viaduct through Medford
- 2003:�Installed new TripCheck cameras on I-5 Viaduct through Medford, North Medford and South Medford Interchanges
- 2004:�Constructed�Variable Message Signs on the Myrtle Creek Curves, advising motorists of their speeds and reminding them to slow down
- 2005:�Vet’s Bridge to Myrtle Creek, a $13.4 million project to replace the bridge and resurface from mile points 109-113
- 2005-2006: New pavement added�to I-5 between north Ashland and South Medford interchanges, replacing one of the last original concrete sections of I-5 in Oregon. In fact, the southern section of I-5 has only required complete re-paving twice.
- 2005-2006: Construction of new Variable Message Signs between Hugo and Glendale to assist travelers over three mountain passes
- 2004-2006:�The $5.8 million Cow Creek – Quines Creek project replaces two interstate bridges; nearby, the $9.9 million Canyonville to Azalea project resurfaces nine miles of interstate
- 2004-2006:�The $40 million Sutherlin to Roseburg project reconstructs eight bridges and repairs two others from mile points 125-139. It also includes paving, median barrier and guardrail work in several sections of the project.
- 2004-2006: Construction is scheduled for completion on the $36 million I-5 North Medford Interchange project (exit 30), improving access and mobility
- 2004-2008:�I-5 South Umpqua River, Shady Bridge replacement, a $33 million project at mile point 119-121 replacing two interstate bridges
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