(May 12, 2023) The SW Capitol Highway: Multnomah Village – West Portland Project is entering the last phases of construction will cause two short-term traffic impacts next week as final paving begins.
The project is a joint venture between the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), Portland Water Bureau (PWB), and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) with improved stormwater, drinking water, and street infrastructure.
Beginning on Monday, May 15 and continuing through Friday, May 19 at 5 p.m., the intersection at SW Garden Home Road and SW Capitol Highway will have a 24-hour closure as crews work on final paving. During that time no motor vehicle traffic will be allowed on the SW Capitol Highway viaduct to and from Multnomah Village. The bridge sidewalk will remain open for people walking or biking.
- Residents can access SW Garden Home Road via SW 40th Avenue.
- Local-only access on SW Capitol Highway will be available northbound up to SW 39th Avenue at which point any local traffic will need to make a sharp right turn onto SW 39th Avenue.
- TriMet #44 and #45 buses that are currently using SW Garden Home Road will be detoured to SW 40th Avenue.
On Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19, the intersection at SW Primrose Street and SW Capitol Highway will have a partial closure as crews complete paving:
- Residents accessing SW Primrose Street will need to use SW Alice Street and SW 43rd Avenue. Flaggers will assist residents with detours.
- Flaggers will help northbound local traffic, school buses, USPS, garbage trucks, and emergency services pass safely through the construction zone.
- There will be no parking near the intersection of SW Capitol Highway and SW Primrose Street.
- Access to SW Primrose Street from SW Capitol Highway may be closed overnight Thursday, May 18th.
Pedestrian access will remain available on all the mentioned streets. We ask that the public travel cautiously, observe all lane closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible.
When complete, the SW Capitol Highway project will include repaved vehicle lanes and brand-new sidewalks, a bike lane, and a multi-use path. Residents will now have new options for safely getting around their neighborhood and getting between Multnomah Village and the Barbur Crossroads area. The project also features four giant rain gardens installed by Environmental Services that will collect and clean stormwater and includes more than 3,700 feet (a half-mile!) of new water mains and eight new fire hydrants constructed by the Water Bureau.
SW Capitol Highway southbound will remain detoured between SW Garden Home Road and SW Taylors Ferry Road as it has been since August 2021.
This joint PBOT-BES-PWB project is funded through the Fixing Our Streets city gas tax, Transportation System Development Charges, Oregon Lottery-backed bonds authorized by the 2017 State Legislature, Bureau of Environmental Services funds, and Water Bureau funds. Fixing Our Streets is contributing roughly $6.6 million of the total project budget of $27.5 million, making this the largest project funded by the Fixing Our Streets program.
Let's go for a stroll! SW Strolls is a new monthly series of community walks through the Multnomah neighborhood, created in partnership with SW Trails, the Multnomah Neighborhood Association, Multnomah Village Business Association, and local residents. All are welcome and we hope to see you there!
Change the date! The date of the SW Capitol Highway Ribbon Cutting has changed to July 1 at 11 a.m. Join us to celebrate the completion of the SW Capitol Highway Project. Stay tuned for more information.
Please email capitolhighway@portlandoregon.gov with any questions or concerns.