Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Department of Transportation crews will close two lanes of I-5 north in the Portland area overnight for emergency repairs related to last month's snow storm.  Pete Springer reports.

If you’ve driven I-5 through Portland lately, you’ve noticed the plethora of  potholes and deep ruts. 

ODOT officials say those gaps and cracks in the freeway are related to the December snowstorm.

That’s when tire chains were required on all vehicles on state highways. 

Christine Miles is a spokeswoman for ODOT.

Christiine Miles: “Remember that chain requirement was also for those big rigs.  So those chains are twice as heavy, they’ve got twice as many to put on their rigs, so if you think about all the traffic that uses I-5 north or I-5 south, that area got hammered hard with those big trucks with the chains.”

The right two lanes of I-5 north will be closed between Rosa Parks Way and Columbia Boulvard from 8 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.  The left lane will remain open.

ODOT did a similar repair project on Saturday on another stretch of I-5 in Portland.

The cost to repair those two stretches of I-5 is estimated at $200,000 so far.