On August 22nd, officials and invited guests gathered for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers looked toward the future of the former state highway while acknowledging the decades-long work needed to achieve that vision. This collection of improvement projects along 2.5 miles of 82nd Avenue will invest $55 million towards repairs needed to increase safety and improve road conditions. Work now underway represents a significant portion of the $185 million allocated to updates along the commercial corridor, and the community has an opportunity to shape the next wave of project priorities through a survey.
PBOT provided rendering of potential 82nd Avenue streetscape after years of development and improvements to transit
Projects currently underway or entering the construction phase will deliver 14 new pedestrian crossings and eight new traffic signals. Road crews will repave four miles of 82nd Avenue, and workers will upgrade street lighting for better visibility on both sides of the street. People can expect sidewalk reconstruction in limited areas, with upgraded curb ramps to meet modern accessibility standards and stormwater handling improvements along the road’s edge. Mid-street medians and left-turn controlling infrastructure in specific locations will address safety needs while allowing customers access to businesses. In an effort to increase the tree canopy, contractors will plant trees and other foliage in medians and along sidewalks where street width and underground utility obstructions allow space.
From left to right Zachary Lauritzen, JJ Kunsevi, Jacob Loeb, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Rep. Khanh Pham (photo by Nancy Chapin)
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is hosting an online Open House to help people learn more about these projects and future enhancements planned on and around 82nd Avenue. Raimore Construction is leading work along the corridor, which will extend through Fall 2026. The current 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Construction Schedule is available online.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Groupand spoke at the August 22nd groundbreaking.
Speakers seen in main photo from right to left: PBOT Director Millicent Williams, State Representative Khanh Pham, Jacob Loeb – 82nd Avenue Business Association, JJ Kunsevi – Student Representative to the Portland Public Schools Board of Education and a Senior at McDaniel High School, Jeff Moreland Sr. – Raimore Construction, and Zachary Lauritzen – Oregon Walks. Photo by Nancy Chapin
This week, crews with Raimore Construction are wrapping up work on a new, safer crossing of NE Glisan Street at 80th Avenue. Due to stormwater management concerns, traffic engineers adjusted preliminary designs for extended sidewalk corners at this location with an innovative design that could save the city money and time if used in more places. This pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure enhancement project moved from inception to construction at an increased pace thanks to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s “Safe Routes to School” rapid response grant. It funded a large portion of the work without many of the application bottlenecks that often slow government projects.
Draft design image provide courtesy PBOT
The NE Glisan Street and 80th Avenue reconstruction features several safety improvements that will help schoolchildren, pedestrians, and cyclists cross a busy roadway that is wider than most in the area. NE Glisan supported one of East Portland’s longest-running streetcar lines, and that transit use required a more significant width to support the rail tracks and other adjacent traffic. A century later, with faster-moving cars on the street, long crosswalk distances now pose an increased risk to people walking or rolling through the intersections. Children walking to Vestal School frequently use this crossing, and it will soon become part of a bicycle and pedestrian Greenway realignment that extends along NE 80th to NE Halsey Street. To improve conditions, traffic engineers looked to shorten the crossing distance with two road features that provide people outside vehicles a safer place to wait for cars to yield. Crews will install two pedestrian refuge islands in the turning lane of NE Glisan Street, allowing people to cross in two phases and only focus on one direction of cross traffic at a time. These islands provide a stopping point mid-crosswalk while also forcing turning cars to remain in the travel lanes. This street design prevents other drivers from going around turning vehicles while their view of the intersection is blocked by the motorists turning right or left.
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) staff designed the western crossing with curb extensions on the sidewalk corners to shorten pedestrian crossing distances further. These are bulbous concrete structures extending the corners into the parking lane so people trying to cross are more visible to the cars in the travel lanes. However, several topography issues threatened to remove or significantly reduce the safer sidewalk corners. A tight turning radius created by the proposed curb extensions on the northwest corner caused engineers to reduce its size. The built infrastructure on that corner now only extends two-feet into the parking lane of NE Glisan.
Northwest corner with shorter extension
The southwest corner had even more issues. Some of which dates back to Portland’s streetcar past. The NE Glisan Street rail line branched off the main track with the “Montavilla Spur” heading south to SE Stark Street. That track is still under the street in many places, and the curved rail lines run under this worksite. Removing old tracks is costly and time-consuming, and city staff try to avoid disturbing them whenever possible. That alone would not prevent the extension of a corner, but rainwater management was another concern. The city builds streets with higher centers, so water flows away from traffic and into the gutters at the road’s edge. Sidewalks also angle slightly to move water away from adjacent buildings toward the curb. When a sidewalk corner extends into the street and onto the sloped road, it has the potential to direct water back from the curb toward the building. Making the sidewalk higher often fixes this problem. However, the business’s front door leading onto this corner prevents that increase in sidewalk height. Consequentially, city engineers built the extended curb with a wide rainwater channel along the traditional gutter line, allowing rainwater to flow to the existing stormwater inlet. They then created an at-grade cutout for the crosswalk similar in design to the pedestrian refuge islands.
Southwest corner showing business front door in relation to extended curb height
The disconnected protruding sidewalk corner is relatively new on Portland streets, but its success could make safety updates less costly and easier to install. Whenever PBOT wants to extend a sidewalk corner, it currently takes complete corner reconstruction at the city’s or a developer’s expense. That work also requires crews to relocate stormwater inlets to meet the new shape of the curb. Some intersections also have underground utility lines at the street’s edge that prevent extended corners without significant expense. The disconnected protruding sidewalk corner accomplishes the same concrete protections as a traditional sidewalk, but crews can pour them on top of the road surface without disturbing below-ground obstacles. The curb ramp remains at the primary sidewalk corner, while designers placed the Truncated Domes that assist low-vision pedestrians at the edge of the extended corner. This positions all people waiting to cross in a visible spot beyond the parking lane and protected from traffic.
The new, safer crossing of NE Glisan Street at 80th Avenue could be a model for efficient infrastructure improvements. Its fast funding source is open to specific grant applications year-round, and its administrators are empowered to make quick decisions regarding an application. City staff’s creative workaround could open up more locations for safer infrastructure. If the newer pedestrian protecting design seen at the southwest corner works to keep rainwater moving in the right direction without clogging, Portland may begin using these designs in more places where cost or under-road conditions prevented them. Regardless of the citywide impact of this intersection’s design, families traveling to Vestal school, biking on the realigned greenway, and pedestrians will all enjoy a better crossing. Look for crews to complete construction in the coming weeks.
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Road crews have reduced travel lanes on SE 82nd Avenue as workers reconstruct the southbound segment of the street. This work at SE Ash Street at 82nd Avenue supports a new signalized crossing and traffic pattern change underway. Recently, utility workers and cement masons have gradually moved this project forward, completing new eastern sidewalk corners and northbound repaving earlier this year. Work will now focus on westside corner reconstruction and the installation of a more durable support base layer and curb.
Contractors working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) cut through the road surface at this intersection, where a gravel-supported outer lane compacted over time. They removed the existing pedestrian refuge island and paved over the center turn lane so it could act as a travel lane as crews shifted traffic away from the work zone. The new mid-street structure will offer pedestrian cutouts for at-grade crossings from both corners of SE Ash Street but prevent drivers from turning left and prohibit cars from traveling through the intersection on SE Ash Street.
PBOT provided design document
This project is part of the “82nd Avenue Critical Fixes” collection of safety improvements underway across 82nd Avenue. PBOT expects work to conclude in 2026, but crews will likely complete this segment ahead of other locations included in this package of critical fixes. This project will create planter space for street trees or other vegetation in the raised concrete median, and updated stormwater inlets will improve rainwater management at this intersection.
Drivers should be cautious when traveling past the worksite and expect to encounter roadblocks when attempting to cross SE 82nd Avenue on SE Ash Street. Pedestrians may want to cross at E Burnside Street or SE Stark Street until PBOT crews complete this new signalized crossing.
Article and Photos by
Jacob Loeb
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group
Around 7:25 PM on August 18th, a car driving westbound on SE Stark Street crashed into a pedestrian crossing the road at 80th Avenue. An ambulance transported the person to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The marked crosswalk at the intersection had newly installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) signals meant to indicate to drivers that they should yield to people crossing. However, the RRFB lights never began blinking because crews had not activated the equipment in the six months since Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) contractors installed them.
In January, crews installed signal equipment on SE Washington Street at 86th Avenue and SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue. These RRFBs remained unavailable to people trying to cross those intersections while city staff waited for road markings and new electric service from the power company PGE. Six months later, around August 2nd, linemen connected power lines to the safety signals at both intersections. However, crews only activated the RRFB signals on SE Washington Street at 86th Avenue. Despite the service line connection earlier this month, PBOT representative Dylan Rivera explained that power service is not yet active on SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, leaving people crossing there less protected. While this equipment remained inoperable, residents complained that these inactive signals created an unsafe condition where motorists were unsure of people’s intent to cross because they had not activated the crossing signal.
PGE attached power line from August 2nd
Crews working for PBOT started construction on safety upgrades at SE Stark Street and 80th Avenue over a year ago. People visiting the historic Montavilla Downtown area frequently use this marked crosswalk. This fast-paced street has limited safe crossing points with two lanes for automotive westbound traffic. PBOT engineers decided to update safety infrastructure here as part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project that will increase non-automotive uses at this intersection. In June 2023, crews reconstructed street corners to widen the sidewalk and install mounting infrastructure to support the new signal hardware. Road workers patched and repaved the intersection after trenching and laying new conduits between the corners in September 2023. In January 2024, with snow still on the ground, signal specialists installed RRFB hardware on SE Washington Street and SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue.
Completed and active signal equipment on SE Washington Street at 86th Avenue
The RRFB equipment remained inactive, awaiting the prolonged dry weather painting contractors require when applying high-visibility crosswalks to the road surface. PBOT representatives explained that the bureau’s policy requires street markings before activating crossing signals like RRFBs. Hicks Striping & Curbing completed the crosswalk work this April, and PBOT activated the RRFB at SE Washington Street and 80th Avenue soon after. However, the SE Stark Street unit remained unpowered and offline, along with an RRFB at SE 86th Avenue and Washington Street that crews completed as part of another project. At times, PBOT marked the dormant safety devices with caution tape, alerting pedestrians and cyclists to the non-functional equipment. After a prolonged delay, the utility company added power line connections to RRFB control equipment in early August.
Reader submitted photo taken minutes after the August 18th crash
This Sunday night crash occurred in the evening as the sun set behind Mt. Tabor, possibly limiting visibility. The RRFB equipment is designed to aid crossing pedestrians where light conditions or other distractions make them less visible to drivers. At the time of the crash, the activation buttons at this intersection were covered in caution tape, indicating they were not functioning. Witness reports say that one vehicle stopped for the pedestrian while a car in the second lane of the one-way street continued past, striking the southbound pedestrian and sending them to the ground. People at the nearby bar and restaurant residents saw the incident and called emergency services. Portland Fire & Rescue workers assisted the injured person until the ambulance arrived, and the driver of the car cooperated with the investigation.
Rivera expressed PBOT’s concern for the pedestrian and reinforced the need for signal equipment. “Injuries from crashes like this can impact a person for years, and our thoughts are with them and their community. Pedestrian beacons and crossing improvements such as the one nearly completed at this location can greatly improve visibility for pedestrians, and they have been shown nationally to reduce the chances of a fatal or serious injury crash. Even after the beacon is activated, we need everyone to use caution when driving on our streets.” PBOT has not set a timeline for activating this new safety equipment and is waiting on the utility company.
Update: As of August 20th, the RRFB signals on SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue are functional.
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Update: The week of August 5th, crews with Raimore Construction placed barricades on the northern section of NE Glisan Street and 80th Avenue, blocking the roadway as they demolished the existing sidewalk corners. Over the next few weeks, workers will recreate new, wider corners with updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps. When work is complete on the first two corners, crews will move across the street to reconstruct the south side of this intersection. After completing that work, they will install pedestrian refuge islands in the center turn lane of NE Glisan Street to help people cross in two phases with safe waiting zones mid-crossing. Curb extensions on some of the reconstructed corners will shorten the crosswalk distance and narrow the roadway to encourage drivers to reduce speed.
Article originally published on March 15, 2024
At the March 12th Vestal School PTA meeting, members of the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) presented draft designs for safety improvements to the NE Glisan Street crossing at NE 80th Avenue. For many years, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and other community groups have advocated for a better pedestrian crossing at this intersection. Now, transportation engineers plan to construct two raised concrete pedestrian refuge islands, extend curbs, and add marked crosswalks.
When completed, drivers will encounter new extended curbs that visually narrow the roadway and encourage more thoughtful turning. Motorists will no longer use center lanes to turn left. Instead, they will slow down in the travel lane to navigate around the refuge island’s half-moon-shaped nose before crossing opposing traffic. Extended sidewalk corners on the west crossing will shorten the distance pedestrians travel in the roadway, and two center islands in the median will provide a safer space for people waiting for drivers to yield. Two new high-visibility crosswalks on the west and east sides of the intersection will further signal that motorists should expect pedestrians to cross.
Draft design image provide courtesy PBOT
PBOT originally slated this intersection for similar improvements in early designs of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway Project. Cost-saving changes relocated the bike path to the NE 78th Avenue crossing with preexisting Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. In the summer of 2023, PBOT applied for an Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School rapid response grant covering 80% of the $609,000 estimated project costs. State funding for the project was recently approved, letting engineers proceed with designs. The early designs presented to the PTA will go through several revisions with stakeholders before PBOT begins work. This project complements two other intersection redesigns underway on 82nd Avenue at NE Glisan and Davis Streets. These projects will collectively improve family access to the nearby school and park. Preliminary designs for NE Glisan improvements at 82nd Avenue show the five-lane street converted to one through lane in each direction with right and left turn lanes. This potential reconfiguration will remove the westbound two-lane merge near NE 80th Avenue by diverting the second lane at NE 82nd Avenue.
The Vestal School PTA attendees were overwhelmingly positive about the proposed changes. Questions for PBOT presenters mainly focused on adding protection to crossings through the use of bollards and more visible school zone identification. City staff said they would investigate those options but noted that bollards do not fit PBOT’s standard design for crossings and instead rely on plastic delineator posts. Construction could break ground on some of these enhancements in summer 2024. As design work progresses, expect to see updated information about these projects later in the year.
Update: Groundbreaking timeline updated to reflect sooner start date
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group.
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Update: On August 20th, the Portland Water Bureau returned to providing 100 percent Bull Run water to Portlanders.
On Thursday, August 1st, Portland Water Bureau added groundwater from the Columbia South Shore Well Field to the city’s Bull Run sourced drinking water. Officials are making this change to test well equipment ahead of a possible seasonal shortfall in the watershed supply. This blending comes nearly a month earlier than last year, and the Bureau says it will update the public through the media and email when the system returns to 100 percent Bull Run water.
In past years, the Portland Water Bureau blended water sources due to dry springs and early summer weather. The October 2023 to April 2024 water year had near-average rainfall and a suitable mountain snowpack that should keep Portland’s watershed supplied for a significant portion of the dry season. However, warmer weather patterns and increased water usage have made well-water sources necessary for the regional water supply. This groundwater system test is required to ensure pumps, treatment equipment, electronic controls, and other parts are in working order.
Columbia South Shore Well Field. Courtesy Portland Water Bureau
Columbia South Shore Well Fields tap into deep aquifers filled with rainwater throughout the year. The Bureau assures residents that Portland’s groundwater supply meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations. However, the Bureau’s policy is to notify the public when activating groundwater sources so sensitive water users can take precautions. It can take up to two weeks before residents receive blended water. After operators revert to entirely Bull Run-sourced water, customers can expect it to take another two weeks for the lines to clear of groundwater.
Sensitive water users can sign up at the Portland Water Bureau’s website to receive notifications regarding changes to the water system. Customers with questions should call the Water Line at 503-823-7525 and watch for updates to this article when Portland’s water system returns to 100 percent Bull Run watershed-sourced water.
Correction: This article was updated to clarify that Portland is not currently experiencing a Bull Run sourced water shortfall.
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TriMet is seeking proposals from qualified artists for a new art installation on the MAX train platform at the NE 82nd Avenue Station. The creative work will reside between an existing shelter and a new covered waiting area planned as part of the Blue Line Station Rehabilitation (BLSR) project. People have until August 12th to submit their application for a site-specific exterior sculpture with a design and fabrication budget of $70,000.
Street level elevator and stairs on the east side of NE 82nd Avenue
Crews working for TriMet are renovating 14 stations between Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center and Cleveland Ave MAX Station in Gresham as part of the multi-year BLSR project. These improvements will update station appearance, improve safety, and aid staff with long-term maintenance. The NE 82nd Ave MAX Station’s platform is adjacent to Interstate 84 and accessible from the street-level TriMet bus stops via a single elevator and stairs on the east side of NE 82nd Avenue. This station is a frequently used connector for riders of the 72, 77, 287, and 292 bus lines transferring between Blue, Green, and Red MAX trains.
In addition to the second shelter and new sculpture, TriMet plans to install new site furnishings. BLSR project updates have included shelter rehabilitation, station lighting, paving repairs, E-Fare infrastructure, and staircase rehabilitation. Similar updates will likely occur at this station as workers install the new shelter and sculpture.
Illustration courtesy TriMet
Crews will install a circular 24-inch diameter concrete base that stands 24 inches tall to support the sculpture. Inground lighting pointing upward will illuminate the artwork, which should feature a strong vertical design. Its placement near the freeway will make this artwork visible to transit riders and motorists, creating a distinct sense of place in the community. TriMet asks that proposals consider the existing mural in their designs. Local artist Alex Chiu created the How They Grow mural in 2017, extending from the street level along the stairs towards the lower train platform. However, because murals are temporary, the sculpture must also be a self-contained expression that encourages connectivity between the transit system and the community.
MAX Station platform adjacent to I-84
TriMet will select the winning artist by the end of August, and the chosen creator will present a concept proposal in October. After refining the proposal, the artist will present the final design in January 2025. Program planners expect contractors to install the finished sculpture in November 2025. The artwork will be the first in a series planned for each future BLSR station upgrade. TriMet will post those opportunities separately in the future.
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The owner of 27 individual developable parcels in the Hazelwood neighborhood is seeking a buyer or development partner for what could become a dense, affordable housing project. The land sits at the Gateway Regional Center’s core, just north of E Burnside Street in what officials planned to be a second downtown on the Eastside of Portland. City agencies have made significant zoning changes in the last two decades and have built infrastructure projects designed to increase density and create economic opportunity. In nearly 25 years since planning for this area began, much of the market-rate housing and commercial storefronts expected in this area have not broken ground. However, these city blocks still offer walkable access to transit and resources, making it an ideal location for urban density.
Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations showing listed parcels in red
Joe Westerman began collecting properties in this area over a decade ago, having successfully created multi-family housing in Oregon and Washington, including housing in this area. The properties surround a new segment of NE Davis Street that PBOT will construct later this year. These properties are part of a Local Improvement District (LID) that will extend the city street grid to these parcels, creating smaller blocks with consistent pedestrian and vehicle access in what had once been long unconnected streets. Calling this area the Gateway Blocks, Westerman commissioned conceptual designs imagining what development could look like and waited for the infrastructure improvements.
Conceptional rendering of development including listed lots and properties not for sale (Courtesy NAI Elliott)
All lots in this area are Central Residential (RX) zoned with a Design overlay. RX offers the highest density of dwelling units for any residential zone. Buildings are generally Six to ten stories tall and have limited ground-floor retail uses. Design overlays only apply to the Central City, town centers, and the Gateway Regional Center. The minimum housing density for new structures built here is 87 units per acre. Portland planners envisioned downtown-level redevelopment at this site, but developers have not yet been able to secure the funding to build at that scale in this space, at least not for market-rate housing. Surrounding affordable housing projects are underway or recently completed with financial support from various government and nonprofit sources. That observation lead Westerman to explore affordable housing options for his properties.
Google Earth view of site area and surrounding properties
Despite having over 30 years of experience as a builder, Joe Westerman’s focus on market-rate development left him without the needed connections to create an affordable housing project on his own. Consequentially, he will consider offers to build these developments to suit a potential buyer or participate in a joint venture with a nonprofit looking to create affordable housing. Westerman will also consider land leasing or the sale of parcels individually or as packages. “It’s not exactly an easy market to get stuff done in right now,” explained the listing agent for these properties, Nick Ostroff of NAI Elliott. High interest rates and other market forces have kept these lots underutilized for too long. Still, Ostroff sees the support for affordable housing as a way to jump-start this area’s transformation.
Joe Westerman is not the only land owner in this area waiting for building opportunities. Andrew Baltz’s limited liability company, Baltz Family Holdings, possesses most of the land south of Westerman up to E Burnside Street. The concept drawings for the site show both owner’s properties along NE 97th Avenue, 99th Avenue, and 100th Avenue fully built out. This illustrated vision matches the city’s aspiration for the Gateway District but represents projects that are not currently feasible. Development at this scale is slow, and many people are waiting for others to make the first step. If one property redevelops in the LID area, it could be enough to start other developments, and Westerman is willing to see if his lots could contribute to that catalyst.
The Westerman properties will soon have several advantages for future builders. Through the LID, Phase II of the Gateway Street plan will continue work started on NE 97th Avenue in Phase I, with new streets, curbs, sidewalks, and green-strip landscaping. The city will vacate the vestigial sections of NE Davis and Couch Streets west of 97th Avenue, which no longer align with the new grid pattern. This returned right-of-way will free up that space for additional building amenities, as seen in the 2019 Portland Design Commission approved plans for a dormant project at this site. Buildings in this space are within walking distance from the Gateway Fred Meyer grocery store, medical services, and transit options. The lots are adjacent to the I-205 Multi-use Path with easy connectors to the Mall 205 retail area and Montavilla shops.
NE 97th Ave looking north from E Burnside St (Jacob Loeb)
Future builders will have to overcome some ongoing project headwinds. Zoning for these blocks will hamper modest uses, dissuading some development options. Additionally, these lots are committed to the NE 97th Avenue and Couch/Davis Street LID, whose member property owners will provide a portion of the $15 million project cost. City staff calculates the amount of money contributed based on the street frontage of each lot, but Ostroff said that would be part of any sale negotiation. This underutilized area has also attracted many urban campers, leaving trash and damaged fencing. Street grid construction will clear roadside debris and reset the area with clean pavement. According to Nick Ostroff, to keep the area activated while waiting for construction to begin, it could host community garden space. Westerman is an avid organic farmer and often includes community gardens in his developments that can support it. He also made vacant land available for urban farming when crews were waiting to break ground. Those plans depend on who partners with Westerman or buys the property. “Everybody’s trying to get together and make something positive,” remarked Ostroff. At this point, the Real Estate team is looking to cast a wide net and see how to start the desired transformation in these blocks. Organizations interested in learning about options and pricing should contact the sales team at NAI Elliott.
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This weekend, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will close a five-mile section of Interstate 84 between Interstate 5 and Interstate 205. The 13-hour overnight closure will last from 11 p.m. Saturday, July 13th to noon Sunday, July 14th. Vehicle traffic in both directions must detour around the freeway for east-west travel, potentially adding more cars onto Montavilla Streets. Union Pacific Railroad and TriMet will also suspend most rail usage through Sullivan’s Gulch, clearing the way for crews to remove graffiti and accumulated trash safely.
Around 100 workers from six agencies—ODOT, Union Pacific Railroad, TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Metro, and Multnomah County—will address graffiti and trash in this hard-hit section that is difficult to clean. The number of overlapping jurisdictions through Sullivan’s Gulch complicates most regular maintenance activities. Consequentially, cleanup efforts are infrequent, attracting people camping who are looking to avoid sweeps and taggers who prize long-lasting displays of their mark.
Graphic courtesy ODOT
All on-ramps leading to I-84 will be closed during this work. ODOT crews will also prohibit northbound I-5 travel over the Marquam Bridge, with traffic diverted onto northbound Interstate 405. That overnight closure will allow workers to carry out bridge maintenance. The Morrison Bridge and North Weidler Street ramps to northbound I-5 will remain open. PBOT crews plan to clean their I-84 corridor crossing during this time. Crews will work west to east, starting with the Congressman Earl Blumenauer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge. Cleaning work will then address blight on the NE 12th Avenue, NE 21st Avenue, and NE 28th Avenue crossings. Work could potentially clean bridges farther east into the Montavilla area if time allows. PBOT crews will close the bridges to traffic one at a time as they deploy large trucks and specialized equipment. This phased work will further disrupt traffic overnight and into the morning. Bus routes will not have to detour around closures, but operators will drive slowly through the work sites, adding to travel times.
NE Glisan Street traffic jamb on June 14th during crash closure of I-84
Drivers should check TripCheck.com for real-time traffic information during the closure, with ODOT suggesting that motorists use I-205 or local roads to detour around the work site. TriMet shuttle buses will move riders around Sunday’s partial-day closure between the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center and NE 7th Ave stations. Transit workers may need additional time to resume MAX service once I-84 has reopened, as crews will need to reenergize the system.
Although the closure focuses on cleaning, ODOT crews may perform electrical work and sign maintenance. Workers could also patch pavement, clean drains, and make other repairs that require a full closure. Funding provided by the Oregon Legislature during their 2024 session helped increase ODOT efforts to remove graffiti, clean up trash, and restore areas damaged along the side of the road. This project is part of the multiagency efforts to restore Portland to a cleaner and safer condition. Officials timed this closure to have the most negligible impact on travel. However, people should anticipate some delays and use caution when driving near road crews.
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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recently released an updated concept design for the 82nd Avenue Glisan and Davis Signal Improvements Project alongside results from the bureau’s public outreach. Changes to the design reduced the number of median planted trees due to mid-street utility conflicts and combined two options for left turn handling at NE Davis Street. Plans also include a short westbound bus-only lane on NE Glisan Street west of 82nd Avenue. The strategic sidewalk widening on the east side of 82nd Avenue allows for additional tree planting space along this frequently used connector between Vestal Elementary School and Montavilla Park.
NE Davis and 82nd Illustration courtesy PBOT
NE Davis Street is a “T” intersection at 82nd Avenue in front of Vestal School. Consequentially, young pedestrians and families frequently use these crosswalks. The Addition of “The Yard at Montavilla” food cart pod on the southeast corner has further increased vehicle and pedestrian usage throughout the day. PBOT engineers had considered two alternatives for reconstructing this intersection with the possibility of preventing all left turns. However, based on community and business feedback, they opted to allow continued left turns from NE 82nd Avenue to Davis Street while restricting left turns from NE Davis to 82nd Avenue. This design provides drivers sufficient access, and pedestrians have a mid-crossing protected island at the south side of the intersection. PBOT also anticipates removing one or two curbside parking spaces on the north side of NE Davis Street to help with visibility and vehicle navigation of the skinnier side street.
NE Everett and 82nd Illustration courtesy PBOT
North of Davis Street, the “T” intersection of NE Everett Street will also receive enhancements during this project. PBOT plans to extend the northwest sidewalk corner and add updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. The south crossing will have a protected pedestrian refuge island. However, the north and south crosswalks will not receive high-visibility markings due to their proximity to two other signalized crossings.
NE Glisan and 82nd Illustration courtesy PBOT
Signal reconstruction at NE Glisan will include concrete traffic separators north and south of the crossing to confine left turns to the intersection and keep turning vehicles from crossing over the center turn lane. A new right turn-only, except buses, lane on the west side of 82nd Avenue for westbound Glisan drivers will shift the through traffic merge east of the intersection. Westbound traffic currently merges 200 feet to the west, often backing up traffic into the intersection. This change removes congestion in a dangerous area and creates space for a bus and turn lane on the west side of the intersection. The four corners at the intersection will receive some ADA updates to improve access and pedestrian visibility.
PBOT crews intend to install wider sidewalks on the east side of 82nd Avenue between NE Glisan and 100 feet south of NE Davis Street. This new twelve-foot-wide pedestrian zone will replace the narrow walkways currently placed tight to the curb. The buildings in this area are adequately setback to allow this expansion, and engineers expect this sidewalk expansion will improve safety while providing an opportunity to plant trees between the curb and walkway. The design phase for this project will continue throughout 2024, and PBOT anticipates construction will begin in fall 2025.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group.
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