NW 23rd Avenue Pavement Resurfacing Project

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What's happening now?

Now that NW 23rd Avenue received pavement resurfacing from NW Lovejoy to Vaughn streets, PBOT crews are upgrading curb ramps at NW Marshall Street and Lovejoy streets. Crews will install new curb ramps one corner at a time, moving forward with the southeast corner of NW 23rd Avenue and Lovejoy Street. Construction will occur in phases and this website will be updated throughout the duration of the project.

This project is a short-term fix to address critical pavement failures on NW 23rd Avenue. It will improve conditions on the Neighborhood Main Street until the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension can address the street's structural issues and broader streetscape needs.

For more information about the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension, visit the project webpage.

Travel Impact Biweekly Updates

Bus stop impacts are posted on TriMet's webpage.

• Week of June 15, 2026: 
  • Starting Jun 17, the northbound travel lane on NW 23rd Avenue between Lovejoy and Northrup streets and the westbound travel lane on NW Lovejoy Street between 22nd and 23rd avenues will be open through the next phase of construction. 
  • The northbound travel lane on NW 23rd Avenue between Kearny to Lovejoy streets and the eastbound travel lane on NW Lovejoy Street between 22nd and 23rd avenues will remain closed during construction.
• Week of June 1, 2026: Starting June 3, both travel lanes on NW Lovejoy between 22nd and 23rd streets and the northbound travel lane on NW 23rd between Kearny to Lovejoy streets will be closed during construction.
• Week of May 25, 2026: Starting May 27, the northbound travel lane on NW 23rd between Lovejoy and Northrup streets will be closed. Sidewalk access south of the emergency room on NW 23rd will also remain closed during construction. 

Schedule

Schedule is subject to change and is weather dependent. Check back for updates.

Pavement resurfacing:

• May 4-7, 2026 (6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): NW 23rd Avenue between NW Vaughn and Quimby streets
• May 11-14, 2026 (6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): NW 23rd Avenue between NW Quimby and Lovejoy streets

ADA ramp construction and pave back (crews will work Monday through Thursday and every other Friday):

• May 27 - June 16, 2026 (6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.): East side of NW 23rd Avenue and NW Marshall Street and northeast corner of NW 23rd Avenue and NW Lovejoy Street
• June 17 - mid July 2026 (6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.): Southeast corner of NW 23rd Avenue and NW Lovejoy Street
• Mid July - late August 2026 (6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.): Crews will follow with the remaining corners, improving one ADA ramp at a time

What to expect during construction

During this next phase of construction, PBOT will upgrade curb ramps at NW Lovejoy and Marshall streets. ADA ramp construction is expected to take at least ten weeks.

• There will be traffic detours to navigate around active construction sites.
• All business access will remain open, with some flagging and temporary sidewalk routing during active construction.
• The southbound travel lane and parking will reopen at the end of each workday, every other Friday, and over the weekend.

This schedule is tentative and may change, so please check back for updates. As with all construction projects, expect some dust and noise from heavy equipment, as well as disruptions to traffic.

Always travel cautiously around work zones, observe all lane closures, and follow directions by reader boards and flaggers. Use alternate routes if possible.

View full size image of Map shows parking restrictions along NW 23rd from Vaughn to Northrup.

Project funding

This resurfacing project budget is funded by General Transportation Revenue and the ADA Bond.

Contact information

• NW 23rd Ave Paving Team: NW23rdpaving@portlandoregon.gov
• Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension Project Team: MPstreetcar@portlandoregon.gov

2026 Accomplishments

In May 2026, PBOT crews resurfaced pavement on NW 23rd Avenue from Lovejoy to Northrup streets. The top layer of asphalt was ground out and a new layer of asphalt was placed on top.

View full size image of New pavement at the intersection of NW 23rd Ave and Raleigh Street.

View full size image of New pavement on NW 23rd Avenue looking southbound at the left turn lane onto Thurman Street. Cars are waiting at the light on NW 23rd and moving through the intersection on Thurman.

Frequently asked questions

• Why is PBOT resurfacing NW 23rd Avenue now?
  • NW 23rd Avenue's base (the support structure under the driving surface) has failed, causing extensive surface cracking, potholes, and water infiltration that extends below the surface of the roadway. The conditions are leading to unsafe conditions for people traveling along and across the corridor. The resurfacing will support NW 23rd Avenue's Main Street activity, including business and emergency room access until the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension can address the street's deeper, more structural issues.
• Will this eliminate the need to fix the street later?
  • The resurfacing project will improve the top two inches of street surface, but it will not fix the subsurface conditions leading to pavement failures. This short-term fix is anticipated to last up to seven years and does not eliminate the need to rehabilitate the street later.
• How is this resurfacing project different than the rehabilitation expected as part of the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension?
  • The Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension will thoroughly rehabilitate the street between NW Northrup and Vaughn streets, including removing historic buried trolley tracks, replacing aging underground utilities, and repairing the road base. The streetcar extension will also replace segments of sidewalk in severe disrepair, install new lighting at some intersections, improve drainage along the street, and install new ADA ramps and curb extensions north of NW Marshall Street. This long-term fix could last decades due to the reinforced track-bed being installed for the streetcar.
• Why not just fix all of the street's issues now?
  • As a standalone project, the full depth rehabilitation of NW 23rd Avenue is estimated to cost $17-22 million. PBOT does not have local funding to pay for such a project. Including the work in the upcoming Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension scope makes most of the long-term improvements eligible for a federal funding match of at least 50%.
• Why aren't all the ADA ramps being reconstructed as part of this resurfacing project?
  • The Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension is scheduled to begin construction as early as 2029 and will reconstruct all corner ramps in the project area that do not meet current standards between NW Thurman and NW Northrup streets, as well as north of NW Vaughn Street. Any ADA ramps constructed now in these areas would have to be demolished and reconstructed later to be compatible with the streetcar extension's elements. The ramps being replaced at NW Lovejoy and Marshall streets are outside of the streetcar extension's new track footprint and will not be impacted by that project.