A major interstate widening project in South Salem is wrapping up significantly ahead of schedule and approximately $1 million under budget, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. The I-5 Widening Project, between Kuebler Boulevard and Delaney Road, began in 2024 and was originally expected to continue into 2027, but major construction is now wrapping up in 2026.
The project team—including ODOT, contractor K&E Excavating, David Evans and Associates, and subcontractors—worked to identify opportunities for efficiency gains and address unexpected issues quickly. No single change shortened the schedule or reduced costs; instead, careful planning and strategic scheduling throughout construction contributed to the savings. ODOT Interim Director Chris Warner said, "Every project is different, but when one goes this well, we owe it to ourselves to understand why. The lessons will help us deliver future ODOT projects more effectively."
Specific decisions generated major savings. The contractor scheduled riskier dirt work during the driest part of summer, when crews needed to do less ground stabilization work, saving more than $500,000. Another $160,000 was saved through decisions about temporary concrete barrier staging and traffic control. The team also used short-duration full closures of I-5 to complete major activities more efficiently, giving crews uninterrupted access to work in a few nights rather than weeks of nighttime lane closures.
The project widened southbound I-5 to three lanes between Kuebler Boulevard and Delaney Road to address a bottleneck and improve traffic flow. The work also replaced and realigned the Battle Creek Road Bridge over I-5, replaced the I-5 bridge over the Commercial Street northbound off-ramp, rebuilt the southbound Delaney Road off-ramp, built a new roundabout at Battle Creek Road and Wiltsey Street, paved portions of northbound and southbound I-5, and built two new sound walls. Marion County contributed $557,000 to add the Battle Creek Road and Wiltsey Street roundabout.
Some finishing work will continue, including erosion control, landscaping, guardrail work, barrier painting, fencing, illumination and installing signs. ODOT marked the major construction milestone with a dedication on September 25 in Salem.