On August 16th, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reopened SE Yamhill Street after sinkhole damage closed the roadway for three months. The TriMet number 15 bus line has resumed its regular route along Yamhill and will service previously closed stops. On May 12th, city engineers prohibited vehicle travel from SE 76th Avenue to SE 74th Avenue due to the discovery of a large cavity growing below the road’s surface.
PBOT crews responded quickly to the mid-May SE Yamhill Street sinkhole. Upon inspection, workers discovered that the medium-sized opening in the asphalt led to a substantial cavity below the surface that they estimated at 50 feet wide by 10 feet deep. Crews stabilized the site and placed steel covers over the hole but needed to wait on additional supplies to finalize repairs. The hole had formed around a century-old sewer pipe. Crews needed to reinforce the 1914-era clay sewer with a new 16-inch plastic liner, extending its life by two decades.
In early August, crews installed the protective liner and repaired a damaged maintenance access hole. They then filled the cavity around the pipe in stages, ensuring long-term stability. On August 16th, road crews patched the asphalt surface, reopening SE Yamhill Street to all vehicle traffic. Some construction equipment remains on the street, but all vehicles are allowed on SE Yamhill after months of detours.
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