Traffic Advisory: PBOT takes significant step forward in improving pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle access to the Hawthorne Bridge

Traffic Advisory
Crews marking SW Naito Parkway just south of the Hawthorne Bridge
New traffic signals to be activated and Hawthorne Bridge ramp reopened on SW Naito on Tuesday, Sept. 28
Published
Fixing Our Streets: Your Dime At Work logo featuring wrenches and roses on a pink background

(Sept. 27, 2021) New traffic signals on SW Columbia and Jefferson streets, and on the Hawthorne Bridge eastbound onramp, will be activated on Tuesday, Sept. 28 as part of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project. The activation of the new traffic signals will allow for the reopening of the Hawthorne Bridge ramp from northbound SW Naito Parkway by Tuesday night.

This work is part of a major transformation underway on SW Naito Parkway, with significant improvements stretching from I-405 to SW Jefferson Street and the Hawthorne Bridge onramp. From I-405 to SW Harrison Street, the street is being repaired and repaved. Beginning at SW Harrison and extending north to SW Jefferson, SW Naito has been completely rebuilt from the road base on up. Additionally, the project is constructing a two-way separated off-street path between SW Harrison and SW Jefferson streets.

All people traveling on SW Naito Parkway should expect significant delays all day on Tuesday, Sept. 28 as crews deactivate temporary traffic signals, remove temporary traffic control, and activate the new traffic signals. We ask the public to travel cautiously, observe all directions by temporary traffic signals and flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible.

In addition to the reopening of the Hawthorne Bridge ramp, crews will be shifting traffic back to the east side of SW Naito Parkway by reopening the northbound travel lanes between Clay and Jefferson streets by Thursday evening. Following this shift, northbound traffic on SW Naito Parkway between SW Harrison and Jefferson streets will be in its permanent configuration in the new, freshly paved travel lanes. This work is weather dependent and subject to change.

Additional construction work remains to fully complete the project. For people driving southbound on Naito, a new detour will be installed at SW Clay Street to allow for the replacement of an asbestos-coated water line. The work will detour southbound drivers at SW Clay Street to SW First Avenue to SW Harrison Street and back to SW Naito Parkway. The detour is expected to be in place for approximately two months while the Portland Water Bureau completes the water line replacement in coordination with PBOT.

A smiling construction work digging alongside the two-way bikeway under construction on SW Naito Parkway.
The two-way bikeway on SW Naito Parkway between SW Clay and Jefferson streets is also still under construction and is expected to open, weather permitting, in late October.

For those people driving north past the Hawthorne Bridge, northbound SW Naito Parkway will continue to be detoured to SW 2nd Avenue at Jefferson Street for the Better Naito Forever project. The two-way bikeway on SW Naito Parkway between SW Clay and Jefferson streets is also still under construction and is not yet open. People biking can continue to utilize the detour via the Waterfront Path to S Harbor Way and will be able to utilize the new pedestrian crossings at SW Columbia and Jefferson streets to access Waterfront Park and the Waterfront Park path. The new two-way bikeway will open, weather permitting, in late October.

Construction on the SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project is scheduled to be substantially complete later this fall.

PBOT greatly appreciates the patience and understanding of nearby residents and businesses. Learn what you can expect in our work zones and how you can help everyone stay safe by watching this video: https://youtu.be/lx3RkJjkjSE

The SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project includes safety and efficiency improvements for all travel modes. The significant upgrades to the signal infrastructure along this stretch of SW Naito Parkway improve travel safety and efficiency for pedestrians and people driving and biking. Among the improvements are traffic signal upgrades and SW Market and Clay streets, a new pedestrian signal midblock between SW Harrison and SW Clay streets, and a full pedestrian signal at SW Jefferson with connections to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Watch a video fly-through of the final project design here: SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project Video

As the project moves towards completion, it will require future detours. Learn more and sign up to receive the latest construction updates on the SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project - I-405 to SW Jefferson website.

The SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project is funded with $1,600,000 from Fixing Our Streets, with additional funding from Transportation System Development Charges and other sources. Fixing Our Streets funds are also leveraging additional Oregon Department of Transportation funding.

A second project on SW Naito Parkway, Better Naito Forever, is also continuing construction. Work on PBOT's related Better Naito Forever project to the north continues as well, with concrete work continuing on the new sidewalk and median islands. Better Naito Forever is scheduled to be complete this winter. Learn more about Better Naito Forever online at https://www.portland.gov/transportation/pbot-projects/ccim/construction/better-naito-forever.

Special note regarding COVID-19 and construction work  

PBOT has been in modified operations since March 17, 2020 and has implemented specific measures to ensure the safety of our crews and contractors. This includes modified shifts, social distancing, and other precautions based on current guidelines from local, state, and federal health officials. Thank you for giving our crews and contractors the space and time they need to keep our city moving.