SE 38th Ave and Market St Sewer Project

Project Area

The public sewer pipe work is on SE 38th Avenue between SE Hawthorne Blvd and SE Market Street, and SE Market St, west of SE 38th Avenue. Two new green street planters are included in the project. 

View full size image of Sewer pipe, maintenance holes, and two green street planters being constructed on SE 38th Avenue and Market Street.

What's Happening Now

Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Remainder of this week

• Finish building green street planters
• Acceptance testing for new sewer main
• Continue building ADA ramps

Week of March 30

• Finish building ADA ramps
• Pave trenches in entire project area
• Start clean-up, demobilizing, and finishing any punch-list items

Construction Methods

The city plans to use Open Trench excavation which is the most traditional and most common method of sewer construction. This method consists of excavating down to and exposing the existing pipe (if there is one), so that it can be installed, repaired, or replaced. The trench is then backfilled and temporarily paved until the pipe is quality control tested.

Road Closed During Construction

SE 38th Avenue will be closed during construction hours. No through traffic will be allowed. If you need to access SE 38th Avenue, the north and south approach will be accessible to local traffic at all times depending on the phase of work. When construction begins on SE Market Street west of SE 38th Avenue, SE Market will be closed to through traffic during work hours. Local traffic will be able to enter on SE 37th Avenue.

What to Expect During Construction

• Noise, Vibration, and Dust: Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and disrupts normal neighborhood activity.
• Equipment Storage: Equipment and materials may be stored on streets overnight.
• Services Maintained: Sewer, water, and other utilities are expected to remain in service during work.

Learn more about what to expect.

What Are Green Streets?

Green street planters, also known as rain gardens or bioswales, are landscaped areas between the street and the sidewalk that use plants and soil to slow, filter, and clean stormwater running off streets and sidewalks. Traditional stormwater management directs runoff into underground pipes. A green street manages stormwater before it enters the sewer system. Environmental Services builds and maintains green streets all around Portland.

Benefits of Green Streets

Green streets help prevent combined sewage overflows to the Willamette River and the Columbia Slough by keeping some of our stormwater out of the sewer and stormwater systems. Green streets help:

• Prevent sewer backups into streets and basements.
• Protect water quality in rivers and streams by removing up to 90 percent of pollutants from the stormwater runoff before it flows into a waterbody.
• Replenish groundwater supplies.
• Absorb carbon and improve air quality.
• Improve neighborhoods by adding green space.
• Improve pedestrian and bicycle safety by calming traffic with vegetated curb extensions.
• Protect our investments in Portland’s stormwater and sewer systems.

For more information about green street planters and managing stormwater, visit portland.gov/bes/stormwater.

We Want to Hear From You

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the project. Be sure to include your name, property address, and project name (SE 38th and Market) in your voicemail and email so we can provide you more details about what to expect in front of your property. Also, please write “SE 38th and Market” in the subject line of your email.

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Sign up for periodic email or text message updates for the SE 38th Ave and Market St Sewer Project through our free GovDelivery subscription service. These updates are the best way to stay informed about what’s happening and what to expect. You can also sign up for bulletins on other projects and topics.

This project will help protect the health of the Willamette River Watershed.