SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project

Transportation
Under Construction
Crews and contractors with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will reconstruct and repave SW Fourth Avenue between Lincoln and W Burnside streets. Includes safer crosswalks, upgraded ADA curb ramps, new protected bikeway, better street lighting, and a business access and transit lane.
photo of SW 4th Avenue shows pavement cracking and patch work
Construction 2024-2025
On this Page

Sign up to receive construction updates

Get the latest updates on the SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project

What’s happening now?

9-26-24 Update: The first phase of paving work is underway on SW 4th Avenue - a curb-to-curb repaving of between SW Lincoln and SW Mill in the downtown area near Portland State University. Later phases of work will repave SW Fourth Avenue all the way to West Burnside.

In this first phase, contractors working on behalf of PBOT are working to excavate the existing pavement, repair the road base, and pave back with new asphalt and concrete. Crews will start at SW Lincoln, starting with the westernmost parking lane first and work their way north. Once the west side of the roadway is resurfaced, crews will switch to the east side. This paving follows ADA-compliant curb ramp upgrades in this segment completed this summer.

One lane of SW Fourth Avenue will remain open and people driving, biking and taking transit on SW Fourth Avenue can expect delays, especially during the morning and evening commutes.

To facilitate this paving, Exit 1B (Fourth Avenue Exit) from I-405 northbound is currently closed, with drivers detoured to the next exit Exit 1C (Sixth Ave Exit). We expect to be able to reopen the Fourth Avenue exit by 4 p.m. on October 7.

Map showing the SW 4th Avenue Improvement Project extents from SW Sheridan up to W Burnside. Map highlights the active paving area which is between SW Lincoln and SW Mill
Map showing Phase 1 paving work on SW Fourth Ave between SW Lincoln and SW Mill.

Schedule

Construction started in May 2024. PBOT expects the full project to be complete in the late fall of 2025. 

Project Components

  • Repave SW Fourth Avenue from Lincoln to W Burnside streets
  • Safer crosswalks and curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) from Lincoln to W Burnside streets
  • A protected bike lane along the westside of SW Fourth Avenue from Caruthers to W Burnside streets.
  • A business access and transit (BAT) lane between Sheridan and Mill streets. BAT lanes give priority to buses and people turning into driveways or cross streets.
  • A bus stop platform at SW Fourth Avenue and Hall Street
  • A new traffic signal at SW Fourth Avenue and College Street
  • Updated streetlights between Sheridan and W Burnside streets
  • Improve existing traffic signals at the intersections of SW Hall, Taylor, Sheridan, Caruthers, Lincoln, Montgomery, Market, Clay, Jefferson, and W Burnside streets

Project fly-through

Watch a fly-through explainer video about the project

Funding

This $16.9 million project is funded by the voter-approved 10-cent gas tax known as Fixing Our Streets, maintenance funds, as well as transportation system development charges, with additional contributions from Prosper Portland and TriMet. 

Project paid for by Fixing Our Streets: Your dime at work.

Map