(Feb. 22, 2024) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will break ground on several large projects this year, totaling over $100 million in transportation investments across the city and on several of Portland's most dangerous streets.
Large-scale capital projects, such as those slated for construction this year, require extensive development and planning phases that can span several years. Breaking ground on these projects this year is the culmination of persistent efforts by PBOT's planners and engineers. Additionally, these projects have benefited from the invaluable contributions of local residents, schools and business groups, neighborhood advocates and community-based organizations, all of whom have played a crucial role in ensuring these initiatives effectively serve the people of Portland. Once designed, PBOT opens these projects for bids from private contractors, helping create hundreds of living-wage jobs within the community.
Funding for these major investments relies largely on outside sources like federal and state grants, as well as dedicated local funding such as the Fixing Our Streets 10-cent gas tax and Transportation System Development Charges. Local transportation partners such as Metro and TriMet also make significant investments. PBOT continues to grapple with a shortfall in parking revenue and State Highway funding that funds basic transportation maintenance, operations, and programming.
“I’m proud of the investments PBOT is making across the city,” said Transportation Commissioner Mingus Mapps. “These transformative projects will help Portlanders of all ages travel more easily and safely to wherever they need to go – whether it’s a new sidewalk for walking to school, a smoother street for transporting freight, or a new traffic signal and crossing to reach your bus stop. I’m grateful to our local, state, and federal partners for their support and investment in Portland’s transportation system.”
“As our city grows, so does the need for strategic investment in our transportation system to ensure it is fulfilling the needs of everyone in our community,” said PBOT Director Millicent Williams. “My sincere thanks and appreciation to the thousands of Portlanders who have contributed their time, energy and input to ensure that these projects effectively serve the neighborhoods and communities for which they are planned and designed.”
The following projects will begin construction in spring or summer of this year:
SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project
Construction start: Spring 2024
Project budget: $16.9 million from Fixing Our Streets, General Transportation Revenues, Transportation System Development Charges, and additional contributions from Prosper Portland and TriMet
This marquee project of the Central City in Motion Plan will reconstruct and repave SW Fourth Avenue between SW Lincoln Street and West Burnside, including a new protected bikeway on the westside of the street from SW Caruthers to West Burnside, updated high-visibility crosswalks and improved traffic signals at multiple intersections throughout the corridor, upgraded ADA curb ramps, improved street lighting, and a bus transit lane near Portland State University.
Brentwood-Darlington Multimodal Improvements
Construction start: Spring 2024
Project budget: $7.8 million, including $3.15 million of Transportation System Development Charges, $2.45 of Regional Flexible Funding Allocation (federal funds) through Metro, and $2.2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Supported by over 1,000 neighborhood residents who petitioned for project funding, this project will fill gaps in the sidewalk network on both sides of SE Duke and Flavel streets between SE 52nd and 82nd avenues, improving comfort and accessibility. The project will also add additional crosswalks along SE Duke and Flavel streets, increasing pedestrian visibility.
Additionally, the project will also install a new neighborhood greenway on portions of Knapp and Ogden streets between SE 52nd and SE 87th avenues, including a new signalized crossing of SE 82nd Avenue and an enhanced crossing of 72nd Avenue at SE Ogden Street. Collectively, this project will improve neighborhood access to several local schools and parks, including: Woodmere Elementary, Whitman Elementary, Lane Middle School, Brentwood Park, and Flavel Park.
SE 174th Avenue Sidewalk Infill
Construction start: Spring 2024
Project budget: $2 million from ODOT Safe Routes to School, plus $2 million matching funds from Fixing Our Streets
This Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Safe Routes to School grant-funded project will construct a 10-foot concrete sidewalk for pedestrians and people biking on the west side of SE 174th Avenue between Stark and Main streets to provide a multimodal connection for students and families attending Alder Elementary School in the Reynolds School District. The project also includes new ADA-compliant curb ramps, marked crosswalks, and street trees.
NE Cornfoot Road Improvements Project
Construction start: Spring 2024
Project budget: $2 million from Oregon House Bill 2017, $2 million from Fixing Our Streets 2020-2024
This freight-focused project will repave NE Cornfoot Road from NE Airtrans Way to NE Alderwood Road, and upgrade street lighting on the corridor. The project will also install guardrails for safety on the south side of NE Cornfoot Road, from NE 47th Avenue to NE Alderwood Road. A second project phase in 2026 will add a multi-use path for people walking and biking.
Safer Outer Stark Phase Three
Construction start: Spring 2024
Total project budget (all phases): $20 million including $11 million from Build Portland (City General Fund), $6 million from Oregon House Bill 2017, $2 million in Transportation System Development Charges, and $1 million from Fixing Our Streets
One of Portland’s most serious High Crash Corridors is SE Stark Street from SE 108th Avenue to the Gresham border. Safer Outer Stark is bringing four phases of investment. Phase one was street lighting infill completed in 2022; phase two provided a new signalized pedestrian crossing at SE 146th Avenue. This year is phase three, consisting of a curb-to-curb grind-and-pave by PBOT Maintenance Operations between SE 108th and 117th Avenues. This paving effort will also add protected bike lanes and upgrade ADA ramps while keeping the same number of driving lanes. Phase 4 is the largest investment, coming in 2025-2026, which will reconstruct and add signal improvements at SE 122nd, 135th, 148th, and 160th Avenues, repave most of the remaining corridor, infill more street lighting, and add protected bike lanes that connect into Gresham.
NE Halsey Street Safety and Access to Transit Project
Construction start: Summer 2024
Project budget: $8.4 million, combination of multiple funding sources including a federal grant, Transportation System Development Charges, Metro’s Highway Improvement Program, ODOT Bridge funding, and Congressionally Directed Spending.
This project will add new sidewalks on the north side of NE Halsey Street between 85th and 92nd avenues. It will also add new buffered bike lanes along the corridor and update an existing multiuse path between the NE 82nd Avenue MAX station to 81st Avenue. Crossings will be updated and improved at multiple intersections and all curb ramps will be updated to meet current ADA standards.
Jade-Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project
Construction start: Summer 2024
Project budget: $9 million from two federal grants including Regional Flexible Funds and the American Rescue Plan Act, leveraged with local Transportation System Development Charges.
This project will upgrade portions of the SE Stark/Washington couplet in Montavilla with safer pedestrian crossings and protected bike lanes. Further south in the Jade-District, several substandard local streets that lead to business corridors will be modernized with sidewalks and/or paving, including SE Clinton Street, SE Tibbetts Street, and SE 85th Avenue. In addition, a new signalized pedestrian and bicycle crossing at SE Tibbetts Street and 82nd Avenue will improve safety.
122nd Avenue Crossings near NE Davis and SE Clinton streets
Construction start: Summer 2024
Project budget: $3.3 million from Fixing Our Streets 2020-2024
This Fixing Our Streets-funded project is part of PBOT’s larger efforts to improve safety on 122nd Avenue, one of Portland’s high crash corridors. The new traffic signals and high visibility crosswalks will make it safer for pedestrians, people biking, and those accessing bus stops along the corridor, while also making it more difficult for people driving to speed through intersections.
NE Killingsworth Street Repaving and Safety Improvements
Construction start: Summer 2024
Project budget: $3.4 million from Fixing Our Streets 2020-2024, plus an additional $750,000 for street lighting
This Fixing Our Streets-funded project will repave NE Killingsworth Street between NE 53rd Avenue and NE Cully Boulevard, add a parking protected bike lane, and remove some on-street parking for better visibility. The mid-block half-signal between NE 54th and 55th avenues will be updated with new median islands for pedestrian safety and additional median islands will also be added at the existing NE 64th Avenue crossing. Street lighting will be added on the north side of NE Killingsworth, to bring the street up to current street lighting standards.
82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project
Construction start: Summer 2024
Project budget: $55 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds
This project, the largest component of the $185 million overhaul of 82nd Avenue, will improve 2.5-miles of NE/SE 82nd Avenue across two separate segments of 82nd Avenue between NE Fremont and Schuyler streets and SE Mill Street to Foster Road. Read more details about this transformative project in this recent announcement and visit the project website to provide your feedback on the 60% design plans.
Additional capital projects are scheduled to start construction later in 2024 including:
- NE 60th Avenue and NE Halsey Street Improvement Project
- Cully Public Works Improvement Project (a combination of the Cully Neighborhood Street Improvement Project and the 70s Greenway: Cully Connector)
- NW Johnson and Kearney Street Extensions at Broadway Corridor
PBOT appreciates the patience of our community members as we construct much-needed street improvements throughout Portland. As construction season begins across the city, please remember to keep your distance from crews at work and slow down when traveling through work zones. Please visit each of the project websites linked above to learn more and sign up for updates.