Southbound I-5 exit at Franklin closure to begin

If you regularly drive south on Interstate 5 and take Exit 192, the University of Oregon/Franklin Boulevard exit, there’s going to be a little hitch in your giddyup come Monday.

The state Department of Transportation will close the exit for 12 weeks beginning at 4 a.m. Monday so crews working on the I-5 replacement bridge over the Willamette River can construct a base support for a sign bridge that will span the freeway when the $187 million project is completed in December 2012.

The exit is expected to remain closed through July 1. Motorists wanting to take Exit 192, the Glenwood exit, will be detoured to Exit 191 to Glenwood Boulevard, where they can access westbound Franklin Boulevard.

In order to get the project started, the Transportation Department will slow traffic along I-5 between Creswell and Coburg from 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday using pilot cars to create what it calls a “rolling slowdown.” As many as four slowdowns could occur, each lasting as long as 20 minutes. There will only be a single lane open on the freeway by the Glenwood exit during the slowdown.

The following I-5 entrance and exit ramps will be closed during the eight-hour slowdown:

Eastbound and westbound I-105 to southbound I-5 — motorists should detour north to Coburg Exit 200 where they can enter southbound I-5.

Eastbound and westbound Belt Line Road to I-5 southbound — motorists should detour north to Coburg Exit 200 where they can enter southbound I-5.

Glenwood Boulevard entrance to southbound I-5 — motorists should detour to the 30th Avenue entrance to southbound I-5.

Franklin Boulevard to I-5 northbound — motorists should detour to the Glenwood Boulevard entrance to northbound I-5.

The following entrance ramps will experience temporary closures:

Franklin Boulevard to I-5 southbound — temporary closures with a flagger controlling traffic.

Highway 58 to I-5 northbound — temporary closures with a flagger controlling traffic.

“There’s going to be a lot of signage out there,” ODOT spokesman Lou Torres said. “People just need to be aware.”

Emergency vehicles will not be affected by any ramp closure.

Flaggers and construction personnel have been informed that emergency vehicle traffic will be allowed to travel through all closed or flagged locations and through the construction area.