SW 42nd and Lee Street Sewer Relocation

Project Area

Pipe work will take place between SW 42^nd Avenue and SW Lee Street, near the Fanno Creek Natural Area.

View full size image of Simplified map for the SW 42nd Ave and Lee Street Sewer Relocation Project.

General Schedule

Construction is anticipated to begin Summer of 2027. Work is expected to be completed by October 2027.

What's Happening Now

Concrete sewer pipe has had multiple cleanings due to excess roots and grease build up. Most recent CCTV investigations of the pipe were unable to be completed due to heavy roots and debris. The sewer has sags in various locations, along with longitudinal cracking. Hydraulic modeling has also shown that the pipe does not have enough capacity. This project will address the sewer's condition, capacity, and will move the pipe into the public right-of-way. 

Before the actual sewer pipe repair work begins, crews will be in the neighborhood completing additional pipe inspections. This information will help determine what pipes need repair or replacement and what construction methods should be used.

What to Expect During Construction

• A Safe Work Site: We want you to be safe around the work site. Please keep children, pets, bikes, cars, and trucks away from the tools, machines, supplies, and construction workers.
• Noise, Vibration, and Dust: Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and disrupts normal neighborhood activity.
• Traffic Delays: The work will slow down traffic in your neighborhood. Please read the traffic signs and follow directions from the workers with flags.
• Access to Your Home or Business: You will be able to go to your home or business, but you may not be able to park as close as you would like. We will try to make sure driveways and parking lot entrances stay open.
• Parking Restrictions: We want you to be safe, so you might not be able to park your car next to workspaces, equipment, or materials. If crews are working directly in front of your home or a business, you may need to park in another place.
• Equipment Storage: Sometimes we will leave tools, machines, and supplies on your street overnight. Please stay away from them.
• Maintained Service: You can still use sewer, water, and other services while we work on your street.
• Work Hours: Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Sometimes we work on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Schedule Changes and Inactivity: Our work schedules can change for many reasons like weather, traffic, and problems with tools, machines, or supplies. Sometimes we need to stop between different types of work and start again later.

Private Improvements in Public Right-of-Way

To construct the sewer project, crews will need to access and work in the public right-of-way — specifically between the curb and the edge of the sidewalk up to your property line. Anything belonging to you that is in the right-of-way may be disturbed by construction, including irrigation systems, hard landscaping (stone, brick, pavers, garden boxes, retaining walls, or other construction materials), soft landscaping (trees, plants, shrubs, flowers, grass, bark, etc.), and other amenities. Please remove any items you wish to keep before crew members get there. If the contractor finds items in the right-of-way that conflict with construction, crews will remove and dispose of the items.

If construction disturbs these kinds of items, the city cannot restore or replace them. However, once construction is complete, they will repair or replace sidewalks, driveway aprons, and curbs as needed. The city will also replace topsoil and grass seed in the planting strip that were removed. If there is an item of concern that can't be removed ahead of construction, please let K. Bullock-Clayton, the project's outreach representative, know.

We Want to Hear from You

Environmental Services will inform residents and businesses about project activities and respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner. We encourage you to:

• Project Webpage: Continue to visit portland.gov/bes/SW42ndLee for project details.
• Questions? Please call 503-823-5759 or email city staff stating that SW 42nd and Lee Street Sewer Relocation (E11562) is your area of concern. Outreach staff will return your call or email by the next business day.
• Reporting an Emergency: In the event of flooding, call the Maintenance hotline immediately at 503-823-1700. It is staffed all hours and all days, 24/7.

Sign Up for Project Updates

Sign up for regular email or text message updates for the SW 42nd and Lee Street Sewer Relocation 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.