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Overview
The Willamette River Crossing Project, which will build an earthquake-resilient water line under the Willamette River, is part of the Water Bureau’s investment in preparedness. The improvements we’re making will enhance our water system’s resilience and reduce future risks, ensuring safe and abundant water for generations to come.
Based on information gathered from a geotechnical probe in 2020 and additional testing in the spring of 2021, we learned that we needed to move the drill path a little shallower and use direct steerable pipe instead of horizontal directional drilling. Over the next four months, our contractor will fine-tune the design so that we can begin construction in summer 2022.
We’ve continued to work on critical infrastructure projects like the Willamette River Crossing during the pandemic. Contractors must follow all safe work zone and social distancing measures. Work may be delayed if staffing availability or construction resources change.
Upcoming work
Since we’ve changed the depth of the pipe and made some small changes to the path the pipe will take across the river, we will be sampling soil and locating underground utilities in November and December 2021.
Soil sampling and utility locates
In November and December, crews will be on site to sample soils and verify the locations of underground utilities on both sides of the river. Read below to learn more about impacts in specific areas of town.
Utility location: Crews have completed their work with the hydrovac truck verifying the locations of underground utilities. Beginning the week of November 29th, crews will dig larger holes in four locations on the east side of the river to measure and verify the locations of underground utilities (such as sewer pipes and gas and electric lines).
Soil sampling: As of the week of November 15, this work is mostly complete. There are two locations where work may still take place, but they are out of the way of the general public.
Stakeholder outreach to reduce our impacts
Starting in summer 2022, our work on this project will generate noise and affect traffic, parking, and driveway access in several areas on both sides of the river. We anticipate that the full project will take about two years to complete.
We are looking for the community’s expertise on how we might reduce construction impacts and be good neighbors. To gather this expertise, we will meet with nearby business and property owners. We are also offering an online open house to collect information from folks about what we need to keep in mind during construction.
What’s happening on the west side?
West-side soil sampling and utility locates
Soil sampling and utility locate work is complete on the west side of the river. The map below shows areas where crews removed soil for analysis and performed utility locates.
Work at 1720 SW Naito Parkway
We will briefly work in the parking lot at 1720 SW Naito Parkway to make small adjustments to the connection we installed in 2020, and then will fill in the launch pit. We are still sharing this site with the Bureau of Transportation while they work on the SW Naito Parkway Improvement Project, I-405 to Jefferson.
Parking lot and stairway closure
The parking lot and stairway at Southwest Naito Parkway between Southwest Harrison Street and Southwest Market Street are closed to the public for the duration of the project. Use the ADA-accessible ramp on the south end of the parking lot as a detour.
What’s happening on the east side?
East-side soil sampling and utility locates
Crews have completed sampling soils and verifying the locations of underground utilities except in two locations close to the railroad tracks. In late November and early December we will dig larger holes to measure and verify the locations of underground utilities in the following locations:
Southeast 3rd Avenue and Stephens Street
Southeast Stephens Street just west of Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Southeast Grand Avenue and Stephens Street
Southeast 10th Avenue and Harrison Street
Traffic impacts
Please allow extra travel time and respect work zone safety cones, detours, and flaggers.
- Sidewalk access: Sidewalks will remain open. However, there may be delays when we move equipment to and from the worksite.
- Bicycle access: This work is not expected to impact bicycle lanes.
- TriMet: There are no impacts to TriMet stops on the east side of the river.
- Southeast 3rd Avenue at Southeast Stephens Street: Traffic will be routed around the work area.
- Southeast Stephens Street between 3rd Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: Traffic will be limited to local access only. We will coordinate with nearby businesses for deliveries.
- Right-of-way between the Goodwill parking lot and store: We will coordinate with Goodwill management to ensure access to the store, employment center, and parking lot.
- Intersection of Southeast Harrison Street and Southeast 10th Avenue: Traffic will be routed around the work area.