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Label:
Transportation
Label:
Completed
A landslide above SW Tichner Drive and W Burnside Road occurred in March 2025. As of August 20, 2025, SW Tichner Drive has reopened to all vehicle traffic.
All project elements completed in December 2025
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Stay up to date on the latest news and information about the SW Tichner Drive landslide response. Emails will be sent when major changes take place, especially related to access, construction activity, or project timelines.
Project updates
January 27, 2026
Verification testing of anchors on the top of the slope is taking place this week. Testing only requires a small crew and all tools and equipment can be transported manually. Minimal to no disruptions to traffic on SW Champlain Drive are expected.
August 20, 2025
After months of work, SW Tichner Drive has reopened to all vehicle traffic. Crews from PBOT's maintenance division trimmed back vegetation, swept the street and restriped lane lines to prepare for the reopening.
During removal of rocks and debris from the site, crews discovered a section of catchment wall at the base of the rockface has been damaged by fallen material. PBOT is working to acquire a contractor to reconstruct the wall. Once a contract is in place, the wall will be reconstructed using the sandlot area below the slide. Limited traffic impacts are expected.
PBOT will continue to monitor the landslide site throughout the winter and rainy season to assess any issues.
August 5, 2025
Crews with Titan Utilities completed work of hauling rocks and debris from the base of the slide. Between July 29 and August 1 they hauled away an estimated 2,666 tons of material. Installation of the draped cable mesh will begin within the next two weeks after crews drill additional holes required for the anchor system.
July 29, 2025
Excavation and hauling efforts began the morning of Tuesday, July 29. Work to remove the thousands of cubic yards of rocks and debris at the base of the rock face is expected to last up to a week. The traveling public can expect some traffic delays as trucks enter and exit the work site. Debris removal is the second in three phases of the rockfall mitigation work taking place.
July 21, 2025
Contractors continue to remove rock and debris from the slope and estimate they will finish scaling operations this week. Due to the height of some rock formations slated for removal, intermittent road closures may be required on W Burnside Road to ensure safety for the traveling public. Once scaling is complete, a second contractor will begin removing the fallen rocks and debris from the site.
July 7, 2025
Contractors hired by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have been working on site since Monday, June 30. This week crews will begin clearing and grubbing vegetation near the top of the slope, then remove the older mesh from the rockface. Scaling and drilling should begin by this Friday, 7/11, and continue through next week.
Timeline
Construction and safety measures requiring the closure of SW Tichner Drive lasted from March 29, until August 20, 2025. Additional construction of the damaged catchment wall will take place in fall 2025, but this work should have very limited traffic impacts.
Details of work
Project response included rockfall mitigation across an approximately 130-foot-wide section of the rock slope above SW Tichner Drive. This specialized work was a multi-step process.
Specific steps to mitigate rockfall and safely reopen SW Tichner Drive to vehicle traffic included:
- Tree removal. Five trees along the top slope have roots that are impacting stabilization and need to be removed. Portland Parks & Recreation's Urban Forestry staff will oversee this work before further mitigation work can begin. Completed
- Install a temporary rockfall barrier across SW Tichner Road at the intersection of W Burnside Road. Completed
- Remove existing cable netting, including damaged portions near the slide area, and adjacent sections to the east and west of the slide that will provide crews access for additional rock and debris removal. Completed
- Remove loose rock and debris (scaling) from the unstable section east of the slide, overhanging section to the west of the slide, and the existing slide area. Most of the scaling will be done by hand by crews descending on ropes. Completed
- Limited blasting. There is potential for some targeted blasting work in limited areas to remove sections of rock. Need for blasting will be determined once the scaling is completed and there is a better assessment of the rockface. PBOT will provide updates on additional safety protocols if blasting is necessary. Not required
- Haul approximately 3,000-6,000 yards of rock and debris from the bottom of the slope. The area must be cleared for crane access before other work can take place. The hauling will be performed by a second contractor. Completed
- Install new draped cable mesh over the rockface across an area approximately 130 feet wide by 110 feet tall. Completed
- Once the area is deemed safe for travel, PBOT will reopen SW Tichner Drive to vehicle traffic. Completed
Background
On Saturday, March 29, hundreds of cubic yards of rocky material broke free from a steep, 100-foot tall rock face. The dislodged rock mass landed primarily in a PBOT sand storage lot below, but some rocks the size of bowling balls spilled onto SW Tichner Drive.
A similar mass adjacent to that one was poised to fall, this time directly onto the roadway. The concern of that mass falling at any time—without prior warning - required the bureau to close both motor vehicle lanes.
Portland typically experiences several landslides each winter which impact roads, sidewalks and other public right of way. Those regularly involve mud and tree debris sliding from a hillside onto the roadway or sidewalk below.
In the case of SW Tichner, a large quantity of weathered rock and debris fell from more than 80 feet above the bottom of the hillside. Rockfall events this large are rare in the Portland area. PBOT brought in a contractor from outside of the Portland area to find the right expertise.
Outreach
Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association meeting presentation, July 9, 2025
Construction notification postcard mailed week of July 7, 2025
SW Tichner Drive Flyer posted near road closure