PORTLAND, Ore. — Both directions of Interstate 84 will be closed this weekend along a roughly 2-mile stretch where the freeway crosses Interstate 205 in east Portland, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The closure will give crews space to work on TriMet's Better Red project, which includes a new overpass to carry a second MAX Red Line track across the freeway. Inbound and outbound Red Line trains currently have to take turns crossing the existing single-track bridge near Gateway Transit Center.
The eastbound freeway closure will start at Exit 6, with drivers detoured onto southbound I-205, and the westbound closure will start at Exit 9, with drivers detoured onto either direction of I-205. The Northeast 102nd Avenue onramp to I-84 will also be closed.
The closure is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Friday and run through 4 a.m. Sunday, although ODOT said the plan is weather-dependent and subject to change.
ODOT's news release does not specify the exact work being performed during the closure this weekend. The freeway went through a similar weekend closure in September while crews moved the overpass girders into place.
When complete, the Better Red project will include a new station platform directly north of the existing Gateway Transit Center to serve inbound Red Line trains from Portland International Airport. Service at the Gateway North station is scheduled to begin in early 2024, according to the project's website.
The project also includes the addition of a second Red Line track on the approach to the airport. On the other side of the metro area, the project will upgrade the Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station to make it the new western terminus for the Red Line, extending the line past Beaverton.
