PORTLAND, Ore. — Over the weekend, I-84 was closed off from 11 p.m. on Saturday to noon Sunday as crews cleaned up graffiti and trash.
The cleanup was a collaboration of many Oregon public agencies from the Portland Bureau of Transportation to Multnomah County, who said I-84 is many people’s first impression of the Rose City.
The agencies shared how resetting Portland back to its former glory days will take long-term efforts, like reaching people who live dangerously close to highways and creating more spaces for public art.
"I can’t guarantee you that it won’t come back in the near term," said Kris Strickler, director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). " I can guarantee that it won’t be as bad as it has been. Our crews are committed to continuing to provide that effort and service, so that we can continue to attack that problem.”
Over 100 workers from six different Oregon public agencies worked on the five-mile stretch of I-84 overnight.
Apart of a long-term $20 million project, focused not just on clean up but restoring campsites and protecting critical infrastructure.
The public agencies emphasized that Portland’s economic comeback will rest a lot on how people feel about the future of the city.
“Any time you clean up an area especially an area like this, so many people travel through the corridor. It makes it better," said Strickler. "It makes it better for those traveling, it makes it better for those seeing and experiencing the corridor.”
While also recognizing, a clean up won’t stop years of graffiti culture throughout the city.
"You don’t solve everything in one night," said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. "This is a reset for this corridor. People have to stand up for their own community and say, 'I’m going to pick up the trash when I see it.' I’m going to ask people not to do this. Let's talk to our kids and say this is not what you should be doing.“
During this clean up, ODOT said they took full advantage of the closure.
With crews doing electrical work, sign maintenance as well as patching up worn-down pavement.
