News Release: Rep. Pham, Commissioner Mapps and community partners join PBOT to celebrate start of 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project construction

Press Release

State, city and community leaders joined the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to celebrate the groundbreaking of the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance project today.

A large group of 82nd Avenue advocates, State and City Leaders, PBOT staff and Raimore Construction crewmembers stand in front of construction vehicles as part of the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project Groundbreaking Ceremony.

(August 22, 2024) State, city and community leaders joined the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to celebrate the groundbreaking of the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance project today, bringing improvements to a 2.5-mile stretch of 82nd Avenue, one of the most dangerous streets in the city.

Construction on PBOT's 82nd Avenue Major Maintenancestarted recently and will continue to ramp up through the winter, as part of the bureau's multi-year Building a Better 82ndprogram. In the coming weeks, the public can expect to see periodic lane closures for underground utility work along 82nd Avenue and on side streets in the area. This fall, construction of ADA corner ramps, sidewalks and driveways will begin.

Safety improvements are focused on some of the major community destinations in the corridor, including McDaniel High School and the Jade District.

Over 10 years (2012-2021), there were 14 traffic deaths and 122 people seriously injured in crashes on 82nd Avenue south of Lombard Street within the City of Portland. Preliminary estimates for 2022 to 2023 include four more traffic deaths on this city-designated high crash corridor.

In the 10-year period, more than 90% of traffic deaths were people walking or biking, or people in cars turning left at locations without signals. Two-thirds of all serious injuries were pedestrians or bicyclists, or people in cars turning left or crossing at locations without signals.

Maintenance upgrades include new pavement, from curb to curb at the NE Fremont intersection, from NE Siskiyou to Schuyler streets, from SE Mill to Franklin streets and SE Schiller Street to Foster Road. Some sections of roadway will be completely rebuilt, from the ground up. The project will also build new or improved traffic signals or pedestrian crossings at seven intersections and widen or repair over 10,000 linear feet of sidewalk.

The project will improve access to TriMet's Line 72, the most-used bus route in Oregon.

At $55 million, The Major Maintenance Project is the largest of more than a half dozen projects PBOT will build on the corridor through 2026. This project is a key piece of the $185 million overhaul of 82nd Avenue that the legislature approved in 2021, with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Portland Clean Energy Fund. The funding was an essential part of the agreement to transfer the road to PBOT control in 2022.

Keep up with construction

Sign up for PBOT's biweekly82nd Avenue email updatesat portland.gov/82nd-mm.

Meet the Construction Team

Meet the construction team for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance project! Drop in, learn about upcoming improvements and ask questions about the construction schedule and what to expect during construction.

CORE Food Carts (3612 SE 82nd Ave Portland, OR 97266)
Wednesday, August 28th, 9-10:30 a.m.
Refreshments and coffee will be provided
More event details

Local advocates, state were key in bringing investments to 82nd Avenue

State Representative Khanh Pham represents Southeast and East Portland in the Oregon Legislature. Representative Pham worked tirelessly with community partners and constituents in 2021 to secure state funding for these improvements to 82nd Avenue.

"My constituents have been begging for improvements to 82nd Avenue for decades, and I'm thrilled to attend this groundbreaking and celebrate these desperately needed investments in road maintenance and street safety," said Representative Pham. "I hope today can inspire Oregon's community leaders and policymakers to commit to enacting similar investments in street safety, transit, and road maintenance in next year's statewide transportation package."

"Portlanders have been living with this high crash corridor for far too long," said PBOT Director Millicent Williams. "Thanks to federal, state and city funding, PBOT is now able to bring these critical safety and maintenance improvements to 82nd Avenue and the communities that surround it."

Major Maintenance Project is endorsed by 82nd Avenue Business Association

"This collection of projects breaking ground today will further our district's transformation into a walkable community hub that retains business access while making streets safer for those outside of cars," said 82nd Avenue Business AssociationPresident Jacob Loeb.

"The 82nd Avenue Business Association endorses this infrastructure work because it supports our organization's vision for a prosperous and culturally rich community where people live, work, and play while recognizing that visitors will still drive to our businesses during the decades-long transformation."

Major Maintenance Project will bring much-needed benefits to communities of color

"Raimore Construction is excited to be a partner on the 82nd Major Maintenance Project," said Jeff Moreland, Sr., Raimore ConstructionPresident and CEO. "The safety improvements on this hazardous corridor disproportionately affects communities of color, and considering this is one of the last major minority census tracks in the state, it is much needed."

"In partnership with the City, communities of color will also get much-needed economic benefit through living wage jobs, career opportunities and development, and small business capacity building," Moreland added.

Major Maintenance Project brings safety and maintenance improvements

With the Major Maintenance project, PBOT will improve a 2.5-mile stretch of NE 82nd Avenue from Fremont Street to Schuyler Street, and SE 82nd Avenue from Mill Street to Foster Road.

COMING SOON: An artist's rendering shows pedestrians walking and pushing strollers on a wide sidewalk next to 82nd Avenue, with a new tree-lined median island in the center lane. Rendering by Portland Bureau of Transportation.CURRENT CONDITIONS: SE 82nd Avenue today, next to SF Supermarket, looking south toward SE Foster Road. It is a four-lane street with a center turn lane and wide outside lanes, which can encourage speeding. Narrow sidewalks without trees are unwelcoming and make travel in the area difficult for pedestrians. Today there are few trees and little tree canopy to speak of, which leaves pedestrians in the hot sun in summer months. Photo by Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Major Maintenance project improvements will:

• Replace the pavement curb-to-curb in key areas, and rebuild the outer two travel lanes, from the ground up.
• Rebuild or replace traffic signals and update with modern signs and street markings.
• Provide safe and comfortable places for people to cross 82nd Avenue by installing pedestrian signals, bicycle signals (at neighborhood greenways), and median refuge islands.
• Reduce the risk of serious injuries and fatalities for all people traveling by installing median islands and separators in areas with a high crash history.
• Improve accessibility by updating or replacing 140 ADA curb ramps for people using mobility. devices, wheelchairs, and strollers.
• Build or upgrade 10,000+ linear feet of sidewalk.
• Improve stormwater and drainage.

Thanks to the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF), as part of this project, PBOT will plant more than 175 trees along 82nd Avenue, to mitigate the impact of extreme heat events.

We'll plant trees in the medians and sidewalks, which will make walking along 82nd Avenue more comfortable and cooler for people - and pets!

With this investment, the City will begin to address the need for more tree canopy in East Portland.

Major Maintenance Emblematic of the Public Works Model

In partnership with the Bureau of Environmental Services, PBOT will install new sumps and maintenance holes along the corridor as part of the project. This work will improve stormwater runoff and prevent sewer backups.

"This is how we'll work in the future, as 'One City', Public Works Deputy City Administrator Priya Dhanapal said. "The 82nd Avenue project showcases our commitment to the partnering across City bureaus in addressing urgent infrastructure needs and setting a new standard for transformative change. I am excited about its positive impact and look forward to more successful collaborations that will make Portland safer and better."

Commissioner Mapps, who provided oversight over PBOT as well as the Bureau of Environmental Services and the Portland Water Bureau, said "fundamentally, this project will improve people's lives."

"It's about more than better pavement: this project will begin the transformation of the 82nd Avenue corridor and make it easier for Portlanders to get where they need to go safely, conveniently and sustainably. I'm proud of this work and am thrilled to be celebrating this today."

Looking toward the future of 82nd Avenue

"82nd Avenue has long been a road totally dedicated to vehicles," said Zachary Lauritzen, Oregon WalksExecutive Director and 82nd Avenue Coalition Manager. "We imagine a road that gives more space to people outside of cars, where there are more trees, parks, and housing along the road, and where it's safe enough for kids to walk to school and the park on their own."

Share your thoughts about the future of 82nd Avenue

Share your thoughts about recommended policies, projects, and proposed improvements. Your insights are vital in shaping the Building a Better 82nd Plan that will be presented to the Portland City Council for adoption.

Visit the Building a Better 82nd Online Open Houseand take the survey by Sept. 15, 2024.

See more details, block by block, at the overview map on the Major Maintenance project website.

What to expect during construction

In the coming weeks, the public can expect travel lane closures on 82nd Avenue and temporary closures of side streets near 82nd Avenue for underground utility work.

Typical work hours will be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Occasional evening and weekend work will be required for some project elements such as paving.

At least one travel lane in each direction and adjacent businesses on 82nd Avenue will remain open during construction, but the traveling public is advised to expect delays. The public can expect dust, noise, vibrations, and heavy equipment near the work zone.

PBOT will provide periodic updates throughout construction. To sign up for construction updates, visit the project website.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we Build a Better 82nd.

Graphic by Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Click here to download the construction schedule.

State and city leaders and community advocates gathered to stand with PBOT Director Millicent Williams and City Commissioner Mingus Mapps to hold golden shovels and celebrate the start of construction on the major maintenance project. Photo by PBOT.Jacob Loeb, President of the 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Nancy Chapin, Vice President, join state Rep. Khanh Pham, who led the effort to fund the safety and maintenance improvements for the corridor. Photo by PBOT.

About Building a Better 82nd

Building a Better 82nd Avenue is a collection of safety and maintenance projects, policies, and programs to address urgent needs for 82nd Avenue. Construction of improvements will occur in different locations of the corridor from NE Lombard to SE Clatsop. In recognition of the need for critical safety improvements for 82nd Avenue, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) established the Building a Better 82nd Avenue Program in 2022, following the transfer of roadway ownership and management from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to the City of Portland.