A neighborhood Split in two

In the late 50s and early 60s, a trench was dug through the heart of Albina to build Interstate 5. Construction of I-5 was completed in 1966 and proved central to the decimation of Lower Albina. 

Reconnecting Albina

Capping I-5 to reconnect Upper and Lower Albina is accordingly a critical aspect of repairing generations of damage done and restoring the residential fabric of the district.

The Albina Vision Trust is working in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, a large-scale initiative to tunnel the highway under a buildable highway cover that is seismically graded to support the development of multi-story buildings, green spaces and both bike and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure atop the cap.

The project recently secured $450 million in federal funding from the US Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, the largest award of its kind in the country.

Restitching a neighborhood

This project requires intentional innovation. It presents Oregon a rare and unique opportunity to position itself as a national leader in transformational, community-driven re-entrification—an opportunity for significant transportation investment dollars to serve as a down-payment on a comprehensive, long-range strategy to rebuild a community that values children, affordable housing, public spaces, and community wealth-building for our most marginalized and historically disadvantaged neighbors.