Smooth pavement coming this summer to SE 162nd thanks to Fixing Our Streets

News Article
162nd and Grant new crossing
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Smooth fresh pavement and three additional safe crossings for pedestrians are coming to SE 162nd Avenue between SE Division Street and SE Powell Boulevard this summer thanks to Fixing Our Streets.

The new project elements are being added into the SE 162nd Safety and Access to Transit Project. Combining the two projects into one project will save money and reduce construction impacts on the Centennial Neighborhood.

PBOT will grind and pave SE 162nd Avenue between SE Division Street and SE Powell Boulevard. Grind and pave projects help maintain Portland’s streets by removing the top layers of asphalt and replacing them with fresh layers that provide a smooth surface to withstand rain, heat and snow, and extends the lifespan of the street for an additional 15 to 20 years.

Three new enhanced crossings will also be constructed at SE Taggart Street, SE Haig Street, and SE Rhone Street to help people cross SE 162nd Avenue Safely. These new crossings of the street will make it easier for students on the west side of SE 162nd Avenue to safely reach Powell Butte Elementary School on the east side of SE 162nd Avenue.

What’s next? 

Soon PBOT will need your feedback on the crossing designs we are working on for this project. Look for an online survey link later this week that will mimic our in-person open houses. This is a way for those who walk, bike, roll, and drive in the area to weigh in on the design. 

  • Winter 2021: PBOT continues design work  
  • Spring 2021: PBOT secures a contractor 
  • Summer 2021: Construction  

About the SE 162nd Safety and Access to Transit Project

We see far too much illegal speeding along the 1.7-mile stretch of SE 162nd Avenue between SE Stark and SE Powel Blvd where we’re looking to make improvements. More than 6,000 drivers exceed the speed limit here daily. Combined with few places to cross the road safely, this is extremely dangerous. It makes it harder for people in the neighborhood to get to their school, the bus stop, or new parks like Parklane Park and Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park.   

The biggest change will be the lane configurations which will go from five travel lanes to three. This discourages illegal speeding and makes it easier for us to build safer places for people to cross the street. PBOT plans to build seven new pedestrian crossings. We’ll also build new sidewalks, add street lighting to the crossings, and make the existing bike lanes more comfortable. All of these improvements will make it easier to get to transit stops as well. 

The SE 162nd Safety and Access to Transit project is funded with $4,300,000 from Fixing Our Streets and $1,700,000 from TriMet and House Bill 2017.

For more information or a background on the project, the community benefits, the impact to vehicle travel times or other traffic data, visit our website at: portland.gov/transportation/162nd-Safety.