Pres. Obama set to arrive in Portland today, expect traffic issues

By KATU.com Staff Published: Jul 23, 2012 at 12:45 PM PDT Last Updated: Jul 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM PDT
Pres. Obama set to arrive in Portland today, expect traffic issues »Play Video
President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Monday, July 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

PORTLAND, Ore. - President Barack Obama will be stopping in Portland on Tuesday during a campaign tour through Oregon and a few other Western states.

The president will be attending a fundraising event at the Oregon Convention Center in Northeast Portland for a private, sold out affair.

A 'grassroots event' that had also been planned for Tuesday was later canceled. Officials said they felt the tone of the larger event would be inappropriate in light of the theater shooting in Colorado.

For obvious security reasons, the president's exact schedule is not publicized ahead of time but we can give you some general information to help you avoid some of the traffic headaches that normally arise when President Obama comes to town.

Air Force One will be arriving at the airport mid-morning and then the president will be at the Oregon Convention Center by mid-afternoon for the fundraising event, scheduled for 3:50 p.m.

The president's visit will impact traffic on the east side of the river. Police said Martin Luther King Blvd. by the Convention Center will shut down during the day and traffic around the building will be affected starting at 9 a.m. through the morning commute.

You will still be able to access area business by foot.

MAX trains will also not stop at the Convention Center platform. People riding MAX to the area will need to get off at the 7th Avenue stop.

According to TriMet, bus service around the Convention Center may be affected and MAX trains may stop and hold at platforms while the president's motorcade is in transit.

Overall, the agency expects the impacts to be "minimal".

Area freeways may be shut down temporarily for the motorcade so be sure to give yourself some extra time to get around. The Oregon Department of Transportation also released the following information about an I-84 ramp that will be shut down:

ODOT will close the Rose Quarter exit on the ramp from westbound Interstate 84 to northbound Interstate 5 Tuesday in connection with President Obama’s visit to Portland.

The exit will close at 9:30 a.m. with installation of signs and related lane closures beginning by 8:15 a.m. The exit will remain closed all day, until President Obama leaves the area.

To close the exit, the right lane of westbound I-84 will be closed west of Northeast Lloyd Boulevard. Motorists should use caution and avoid last-minute lane changes, a common cause of crashes. The closure involves the Rose Quarter exit only; the transition ramp from I-84 to I-5 north will remain open.

Motorists should expect delays and plan alternate routes. Motorists trying to reach the Rose Quarter from I-84 westbound should use the Lloyd Center exit (exit 1, 12th Avenue).

There are also some demonstrations/rallies that will be happening for President Obama's visit:

  • Americans for Prosperity - Oregon is planning an 'It's About Jobs' rally from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at South Park in downtown Portland (between Southwest Columbia and Clay, and between Southwest 9th and Park Avenue). Speakers will begin at noon.
  • The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers is planning to picket outside the Oregon Convention Center between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. They will be demonstrating against outsourcing jobs and in particular, the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal.
  • The North Portland Coal Committee is planning a 'No Coal Demonstration' at the Oregon Convention Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • The National Cannabis Coalition plans to demonstrate outside the Oregon Convention Center starting at 10 a.m.

Visit KATU.com for our live blog or follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates during the president's speech.