Starting May 13th, crews will close East Burnside Street from 94th Avenue to 99th Avenue for weeknight roadwork. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises drivers to detour around this section of East Burnside on Tuesday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.. The closures will prevent drivers from using the Interstate-205 overpass, requiring motorists to cross the freeway at NE Glisan Street or via the SE Stark-Washington Street couplet.
The overnight work schedule includes completing traffic signal upgrades and other improvements to crossing points along this street. Crews working with PBOT previously installed new signal equipment at 97th Avenue’s crossing of East Burnside Street as part of the NE 97th Avenue Phase II and Couch/Davis Street Local Improvement District (LID). The old signal equipment is still active, and crews must remove it so PBOT can activate the new traffic lights and pedestrian signals.
This LID project uses City and property owner funds to add sidewalks and create new road segments, restoring the city street grid in an area that previously had long, uninterrupted blocks and little pedestrian infrastructure. Project planners say this work will improve streets and sidewalks for existing residents while facilitating future housing growth in the Gateway area.
Closures will disrupt the Line 20 bus service. TriMet will close eastbound bus stops on E Burnside at SE 94th (Stop ID 822) and SE 99th (Stop ID 12934). Westbound line 20 buses will similarly bypass stops on E Burnside at NE 97th (Stop ID 8745) and NE 94th (Stop ID 823). Riders should consult TriMet’s website for further alerts and to plan trips around the construction. I-205 Multiuse Path users can travel through this worksite. However, they should use caution and follow detour instructions as crews work to enhance the walking and rolling corridor.
PBOT will work to maintain local access to residences and businesses during the project. People should anticipate delays and obey instructions on signs or from the crew on site. When completed, all users of the intersection will have new high-visibility crosswalk markings and new signals for safer navigation of this mixed point of nearly all modes of ground travel — at East Burnside Street and 97th Avenue, light rail, car, bicycle, bus, and pedestrian traffic intermix, creating a uniquely complex crossroads in the best of circumstances. During construction, people are encouraged to remain aware of work in the roadway and changing traffic patterns.
