Iowa Street Viaduct: Crews finishing up towering I-5 retaining wall in Southwest Portland

The Oregon Department of Transportation has started finishing work on the towering southbound Interstate 5 retaining wall built as part of the new Iowa Street Viaduct in Southwest Portland.

Just north of the Terwilliger Curves, crews are applying an Oregon basalt overlay selected by the public two years ago. ODOT said it's the last step in building the retaining wall along the west side of the freeway.

The new wall is designed to help stabilize the hillside and deter mudslides that could block I-5.

Through a public-comment process, citizens chose Oregon basalt as the faade for the retaining wall in a 2011 vote, ODOT said. More than 400 people took part.

"Voters indicated they liked the Oregon basalt because it looked durable, connected with the regional themes and blended in with the surrounding landscape," ODOT said in a release on Friday.

The project also provides room for a future southbound truck-climbing lane.

-- Joseph Rose

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Iowa Street Viaduct: Crews finishing up towering I-5 retaining wall in Southwest Portland