Union Pacific – Montavilla News

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.

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.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Last week, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews responded to a vehicle fire near the northern entrance to Gateway Green Park between Interstate 84 and Interstate 205. Firefighters found a stack of cars and one boat ablaze. The rocky location beside railroad tracks kept the fire mostly contained until crews extinguished it. Workers with Union Pacific previously stacked the abandoned vehicles they found along the nearby railroad tracks to form an access road barricade.

*_{Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations}*

Over the last few years, people have left a half-dozen cars and at least one boat next to the Union Pacific tracks that run between I-84 and I-205. During that time, miscreants vandalized the cars and stripped them for parts, leaving mostly scrap metal hulks behind. In an April cleanup, crews working for Union Pacific moved the scrapped vehicles from their respective locations and stacked them near a gravel access road that connects to the I-205 MultiUse Path. Union Pacific representative Meg Siffring explained the stacked vehicle wall was an uncommon measure to prevent more vehicles from entering their property. “We did a large clean up in this area, removing trash and debris. While not typical procedure, what you are seeing is a temporary measure to prevent trespassing on Union Pacific property,” said Siffring.

*_{Scrap vehicle barricade from April 15th, 2024}*

On Friday evening, May 10th, PF&R received reports of cars on fire between the two freeways near Gateway Green Park. The boat and most non-metal parts on the vehicles burned or melted in the fire, leaving twisted remains that still block the access road. This debris on Union Pacific property does not affect the public multiuse path and Park access. Siffring said that Union Pacific is working on a long-term plan to restrict entry to their tracks. However, this area has struggled with encampments and unauthorized vehicles for years. People have cut fences, removed concrete barricades, or otherwise bypassed past attempts to keep this area clear. People should expect to see the burnt cars cleaned up after the railroad operator installs a permanent solution.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb