Here's what will be happening next week on this long-term project (from ODOT):

A contractor is working to replace a viaduct on I-5 that crosses a ravine at SW Iowa Street (milepost 298) just north of Terwilliger Boulevard (exit 297) and just south of Corbett Avenue (exit 298). The project includes building a temporary detour bridge on the west side of I-5. The hiking trail that crosses under I-5 connecting Terwilliger Boulevard to Corbett Street remains closed during this project.

During the week of Monday, Jan. 30, through Friday, Feb. 2, the contractor will work on the east side of the freeway building retaining walls, starting work on the new bridge, working on electrical systems and widening shoulders. 

This work requires daytime shoulder closures in both directions on I-5 in the project area. Motorists should expect trucks entering and exiting the northbound lanes of I-5 from the worksite between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The contractor will transport drilling equipment on I-5 northbound Tuesday night requiring crews to close the northbound right lanes on I-5 from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The rodents are gone at the Mandarin Palace but now flies have made their way into the kitchen.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Bureau of Emergency Management will test the community notification system for the first time Thursday, Jan. 26.

During the citywide test, PBEM will send a single message via land line phone, cellphone, text and email to as many Portland residents as possible in the shortest amount of time, according to PBEM spokesman Randy Neves.

The test will occur at 11 a.m., Thursday.

The new system has been used before in real, small-scale emergencies, but has never been successfully tested on a large scale, Neves said.

“We want this test to expose any weaknesses in the system,” said PBEM Director Carmen Merlo.

PBEM is asking Portland residents to sign up for public alerts so they can receive the test message. Personal information users provide during registration is kept private and only used to send geographically tailored emergency messages, Neves said.