Traffic Advisory: SW Fourth Avenue closed between SW Morrison Street and SW Oak Street for weekend paving, starting at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26

View full size image of Paving patch being installed after underground utility work in advance of permanent paving. Photo by PBOT

(Sept. 26, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will begin the next phase of paving on the SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project at 8 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 26. This phase of paving covers SW Fourth Avenue between SW Alder and SW Harvey Milk Streets.

This work requires the full closure of SW Fourth Avenue northbound between SW Morrison and Oak streets. The intersections of SW Alder, Washington, and Harvey Milk streets with Fourth Avenue will also be closed. SW Fourth Avenue is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29.

Contractors working on behalf of PBOT will grind off the existing pavement and repave with new asphalt. Crews will work overnight Friday through Sunday to minimize impacts to the traveling public. Local residents and businesses can anticipate nighttime construction noise on the evenings of Sept. 26 and Sept. 27. Crews will return after the paving is complete to adjust maintenance hole lids to match the new pavement surface and to install concrete traffic separators.

During the closure people driving north on SW Fourth Avenue will be detoured at SW Salmon Street to SW Second Avenue. People driving west on the Morrison Bridge will be detoured at SW Second Avenue to SW Oak Street. People driving east on SW Harvey Milk Street or SW Alder Street will be detoured at SW Fifth Avenue to SW Salmon Street. Detour signs will guide traffic through the area. Sidewalks will remain open for pedestrians. Public transit riders should check TriMet.org for service impacts.

Further south on the corridor, crews will be installing permanent striping on the SW Fourth Avenue exit ramp (Exit 1B) from I-405 northbound. Exit 1B will also be closed at 8 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 26, with drivers detoured to the SW Sixth Avenue exit (Exit 1C). This work will be complete by Saturday morning and the SW Fourth Avenue exit ramp will reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

This work is weather dependent and the schedule may change.

View full size image of Map showing detour route for when paving requires closure of SW Fourth Avenue on the weekend of September 26. Map by PBOT.

Looking Ahead

Work on SW Fourth Avenue continues to progress northward to West Burnside Street, with a focus on completing underground utility repairs prior to final paving. PBOT expects the full paving project to be substantially completed this winter.

In addition to the weekend paving work, active construction will also be underway at other locations along SW Fourth Avenue in the coming weeks, including sidewalk repair on the east side of the corridor north of SW Ankeny Street, and additional concrete traffic separators up and down the corridor. Required sawcutting and demolition will be noisy at times.

Looking ahead, PBOT anticipates the final round of paving and related road closures between SW Harvey Milk and West Burnside streets in October, weather permitting.

View full size image of Utility repairs underway on SW Fourth Avenue prior to final paving. Photo by PBOT.

The traveling public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all closures and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. Local access to residences and businesses will remain available. Parking near the work zone will be restricted during construction.

PBOT will provide periodic updates throughout construction on the project website. Sign up here to receive construction updates by email.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we complete this work.