Crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will continue construction along SE Washington Street from 80th to 92nd Avenues this week with expected lane closures. Starting October 15th, contractors will apply street paint in a new configuration on SE Washington Street from SE 82nd to SE 92nd Avenues, keeping one eastbound lane open through the process. The post-repaving restripe work, scheduled to last until Friday, October 17th, will include a new bike lane and a combined bus/right turn lane. Cement masons and road crews will also continue work creating missing sidewalk sections on the south side of SE Washington Street from 80th to 82nd Avenues with new, extended accessible curb ramps for east/west traveling pedestrians.
PBOT advises drivers to navigate carefully through the work site and watch for new traffic patterns as the street configuration updates create a safer space for people walking, biking, and using transit. Earlier work on this project reduced travel lanes on SE Washington Street from SE 76th to SE 82nd Avenues from two lanes to one on this one-way street, adding a new protected bike lane and reconfiguring some street parking. Similar reconfiguration work on the bidirectional SE Thorburn Street created space for a painted bike lane on the northwest traveling side of the road and a raised concrete traffic separator-protected bike lane on the southeast traveling side, with space for an on-pavement pedestrian track where missing sidewalks have previously challenged pedestrian access.
Further portions of this work —part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project— will add updated signage, red paint for parts of the bus lane, and green markings for parts of the bike lane in the coming weeks. Crews will return to the project site to install concrete traffic separators on all sections of the newly created protected bike lanes, helping to position drives in proper alignment for street parking used as part of the parking protected bike lanes positioned against the curb. The concrete traffic separators will also provide cyclists with some safety assurances while riding exposed along the fast-paced SE Washington Street.
PBOT’s street design will widen in the new configuration to allow two or three lanes at 82nd and 92nd Avenues, and other major intersections. PBOT expects to complete traffic signal improvements in early 2026, which should include updates at SE 82nd Avenue and Washington Street to allow left turns eastbound.
The striping work on SE Washington Street is weather-dependent, and the schedule could change with some rain anticipated this week. All street users of this portion of SE Washington Street should expect some delays during project work hours. PBOT asks people to travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Crews will maintain access to residences and businesses during the project. Riders of the 15 bus line should check TriMet’s website for stop closures or other delays when traveling eastbound.
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