Project Area
The lateral sewer service pipe repair is located in SW Washington Street between SW Park Avenue and SW 10th Avenue.
What’s Happening Now
James W. Fowler Co., working with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, will complete pavement restoration near your property on Friday, August 23, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27–28. Crews will sawcut an asphalt patch and then repave a five-foot wide section of the street from curb to curb across SW Washington Street at SW Park Avenue.
On Friday, August 23, crews will sawcut the existing asphalt patch, depending on weather.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27–28, crews will apply fresh new asphalt. Crews will pave half of the street on Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday.
What to Expect
You can expect the following activities and impacts during pavement restoration:
- Work hours will be during the day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Temporary lane closures will be necessary in SW Washington Street between SW Broadway and SW 9th Avenue. One travel lane will remain open.
- Temporary sidewalk and crosswalk closures will be necessary in SW Washington Street at SW Park Avenue. Pedestrian detours will be in place during work hours.
- Flaggers will be present to assist traffic and pedestrians. Please follow their directions.
- Temporary on-street parking removal will be necessary in the work zone.
- Local access will be provided to parking garages and businesses.
We Want to Hear From You
Environmental Services is working directly with adjacent properties affected by the lateral repair. We encourage you to:
- Visit this project webpage regularly for more details about the project and what to expect.
- With questions or comments, call the message line at 503-823-5315, stating that SW Washington Street is your area of concern. Your call will be returned by the next business day.
- To report nighttime construction noise complaints, call the noise hotline at 503-823-1338, stating that SW Washington Street is your area of concern. The noise hotline is monitored by site inspectors.
- Learn about other downtown sewer repair projects.
- Contact city outreach staff.
- In the event of a sewer backup or basement flooding, call the City’s Maintenance line immediately at 503-823-1700. The line is staffed all hours and all days (24/7).
Project Background
In 2019–2021, crews successfully completed the following improvements for this project:
- Removed roots in the existing mainline public sewer pipe.
- Installed 435 feet of pipe lining to repair the public sewer pipe.
- Installed liners to repair three sewer service lateral connections.
- Repaired maintenance access holes to provide access to sewer service lateral pipes.
The remaining work included the repair of two additional sewer service lateral connections.
Lateral #1: Repair completed 2021
- In the summer of 2020, crews attempted to repair one public sewer service lateral in SW Washington Street between SW Park Avenue and SW 10th Avenue. Unfortunately, they could not complete the repair. The geometry of the existing lateral was not conducive to standard repair methods. Engineers studied the problem to determine a new construction method.
- Another attempt to repair the lateral was also unsuccessful. Flows in the pipe were too high from recent rainfall and other sources that it was not possible to install the liner where the lateral connects to the mainline public sewer pipe.
- As a result, the city's contractor re-engineered the sewer bypass plan and rescheduled the repair. It, too, was unsuccessful. Something new in a private development storm system prevented crews from being able to install the lateral liner.
- In April of 2021, crews were successful in repairing this lateral pipe.
Lateral #2: Repair completed in 2022
- Engineers conducted potholing in 2022 to gather detailed information about the remaining lateral location.
- The remaining lateral repair schedule was delayed due to the demolition of O'Bryant Square.
- Crews installed a sewer cleanout to enable regular maintenance of the sewer service lateral for access, cleaning, and any necessary future repairs. They jetted the lateral pipe line for cleaning.
- As of August of 2024, the lateral is functioning well.
We Want to Hear from You
More information is available through the following resources:
- Project Webpage: Visit this project webpage using the shortcut www.portland.gov/bes/swwashington.
- Message Line: If you have a question or concern, leave a message at 503-823-5315, stating that SW Washington at SW Park is your project of concern. Someone will return your call by the next business day.
- Sewer Emergency: In case of a sewer backup or basement flooding, contact City Maintenance immediately at 503-823-1700. The line is staffed all hours and all days, 24/7.
Sign Up for Updates
Sign up for periodic email or text message updates for the SW Washington Street: Park Ave to 10th Sewer Repair 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.