Tag: sinkhole

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Speed Camera Van and NE 78th Closure

Motorists in Montavilla should use extra caution when driving on May 1st. Wednesday morning, commuters on SE Stark Street encountered a Portland Police Bureau Photo Enforcement van parked near SE 78th Avenue. Drivers traveling over the posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour saw their speed displayed on the van’s attached reader board and flash. To the north, posted road closure signs on NE 78th Avenue at E Burnside Street and NE Everett Street prohibit through traffic as Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews work in the roadway.

Although outside the active NE 78th Avenue project area, PBOT crews have begun repairing the sinkhole that appeared on that street last week near NE Glisan Street. NE 78th Avenue remains open on that segment, but cars must navigate barricades covering the sinkhole area. Look for construction to disrupt local travel as work progresses. 

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

NE 81st and Everett Sinkhole

Road crews returned to NE 81st Avenue and Everett Street this week to permanently repair a sinkhole within a crosswalk near Vestal School. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) patched the street cavity in early August but needed to return for a proper remediation. Workers removed a rectangular section of the asphalt, exposing the street’s gravel base. Workers will replace the road’s surface within the next several days after completing repairs.

Completed repairs on September 18th, 2023

Article first published August 6th, 2023.

A new sinkhole opened up in a crosswalk near Vestal School last week. Road crews quickly filled and patched the maintenance hole adjacent cavity at NE 81st Avenue and Everett Street. This under-roadway cavity is the second sinkhole to appear in a Montavilla street this year, with the other one causing a road closure of SE Yamhill Street at SE 76th Avenue.

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) representatives noted that Portland sees a few hundred small sinkholes in the streets yearly. Most are relatively small and do not cause extensive property damage. This most recent sinkhole is small but could cause a twisted ankle due to its location in the middle of the crosswalk. PBOT repair crews recognized its potential to cause injury and responded quickly to the growing hole. A neighbor who witnessed the repair said that crews arrived the same day it was reported, wetting the base soil, filling the void, and patching the asphalt road surface.

Neighbor supplied image
Neighbor supplied image

PBOT quickly repaired the NE 81st Avenue sinkhole without disrupting traffic, but this section of the road may require additional attention in the future. In contrast, the limited availability of materials needed to repair the substantially larger sinkhole at SE Yamhill Street has delayed work for nearly three months. Expect crews to begin repair work in the coming weeks. Until then, SE Yamhill Street remains closed to vehicle and bus traffic from SE 76th Avenue to SE 74th.

Update: City staff repaired the Yamhill sinkhole reopening the street on August 16th, 2023.

Construction, Infrastructure

SE Yamhill Reopens After Sinkhole Closure

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.

TriMet bus back on its regular route along SE Yamhill

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.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.