Project Area
This project will replace public sewer pipes in SE Carlton Street between SE 67th and 69th avenues and in SE 72nd Avenue between SE Henry and SE Duke streets.
General Schedule
The contractor is working in both SE Carlton Street and SE 72nd Avenue. The project is anticipated to be completed in May.
What’s Happening Now
Crews are working in both SE Carlton Street and SE 72nd Avenue. The schedule below is subject to change due to weather, underground conditions, materials and labor supply, subcontractor schedules, and other factors.
Week of March 20
Crews will work in SE 72nd Avenue:
- Complete installation of a long run of new mainline public sewer pipe in SE 72nd moving southward from SE Henry Street to SE Duke Street using open trench excavation.
- Install a large maintenance access hole in SE 72nd just north of SE Duke Street.
Week of March 27
Crews will work both in SE 72nd Avenue and in SE Carlton Street:
- Repair existing sewer service lateral pipes in SE 72nd and in SE Carlton using the cured-in-place-pipe lining construction method.
- Install new sewer service lateral pipes that connect adjacent properties in SE 72nd to the new mainline public sewer pipe.
Week of April 3
Crews will work both in SE 72nd Avenue and in SE Carlton Street:
- Abandon existing maintenance access holes no longer in service.
- Conduct closed-circuit television inspection of completed sewer improvements to ensure everything is functioning properly.
- Coordinate with the Portland Bureau of Transportation to determine the limits of asphalt pavement restoration where crews had to dig in the streets.
- Begin concrete restoration work of curbs, sidewalks, and driveway aprons damaged by construction. Note that crews compare existing conditions with pre-construction photos.
Week of April 10
Crews will work both in SE 72nd Avenue and in SE Carlton Street:
- Complete concrete restoration work.
- Complete asphalt pavement restoration work.
What to Expect
You can expect the following activities and impacts during construction:
- Approved work hours are between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday as needed.
- Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and disrupts normal neighborhood activity.
- After sewer construction work is completed and passes inspections, crews will return to restore sections of street pavement that they had to dig up during construction.
- Learn more by reading a brief guide on what the community can expect during ongoing construction projects conducted by Environmental Services.
Construction Methods
The contractor will use open trench excavation to construct sewer and stormwater improvements. Open trench excavation is the traditional method of sewer construction and the most common method for installing a new sewer pipe. It consists of digging down to the required depth, installing a new pipe, and then backfilling the trench.
Crews will install new mainline public sewer pipes in the street. Then they will construct new sewer service laterals from the mainline pipe in the street to the curb or to the back of a planter wall, depending on the location.
A sewer service lateral is a pipe that provides a public sewer connection for a house, business, or undeveloped property. It runs from the mainline public sewer in the street to the curb and connects to the property’s private sewer line or is capped at the property line for future use, e.g., future development or resolution of a nonconforming sewer connection.
The City of Portland is responsible for maintaining the public portion of the lateral sewer pipe from the mainline public sewer to the curb. The private property owner is responsible for maintaining the private lateral sewer pipe from the curb to the house or building.
We Want to Hear from You
Environmental Services will work directly with the community throughout the course of the project. Community outreach staff will listen to your suggestions and respond to your concerns. We encourage you to:
- Visit the project webpage for updates using the shortcut portland.gov/bes/secarlton72nd.
- If you have a question about a pipe repair near you, please be sure to include your name, property address, and project name (SE Carlton and SW 72nd) in your voicemail and email so we can provide you more details about what to expect in front of your property.
- If your basement sewer backs up or your property or street floods, please report it immediately to the City’s Maintenance Operations hotline at 503-823-1700. It is staffed 24/7, all hours and all days.
Sign Up for Updates
Sign up for periodic email or text message updates for the SE Carlton and SE 72nd 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.