PBOT crew member Shawn Castrapel shows an area where stormwater was not draining properly into a city storm drain. Improvements to drainage in the coming days will prevent West Burnside from deteriorating and reduce the need for future road closures for maintenance. Photo by Hannah Schafer, Portland Bureau of Transportation.
News media contact:
Dylan Rivera Portland Bureau of Transportation (503) 577-7534 dylan.rivera@portlandoregon.gov
PBOT Traffic Advisory:
West Burnside may reopen at 4 p.m. Friday,
after PBOT crews fix landslide damage, sinkholes and pavement
(4 p.m., Tuesday, March 21, 2017) – The Portland
Bureau of Transportation advises the traveling public that West Burnside Road
is expected to remain closed at least through Friday afternoon. The soonest the roadway will be reopened is 4 p.m. on Friday, March 24, after crews work to
repair and improve the road after a recent landslide.
Crews may reopen Burnside at 4 p.m. Friday, but the
work is weather dependent, so the schedule may change and the closure may last
longer.
Sinkhole repairs and pavement improvements
Crews undertaking multiple repairs to improve the condition of West Burnside this
week. They are repairing two sinkholes and
several potholes. They are improving drainage in areas where stormwater was not draining properly into roadside storm drains.
In
addition, there are
several places where the base underneath the pavement has been compromised and
needs to be replaced. When roads need such base
repairs, they often appear
to have wavy surfaces that distract
drives, collect
rain and form potholes.
PBOT is also using this closure as an opportunity to replace the top layer of pavement. Repaving the street will prevent potholes from occurring and prevent the need
for a more expensive rebuild later on.
"We don't want to have to come back and repair West Burnside
again in two weeks,” said Suzanne Kahn, maintenance
operations group manager for PBOT. “With a few more days, we can leave the road in condition that
will last one more decade rather than a few more weeks."
Crews are assessing what damage
resulted from the slide and what stems from poor pavement condition. Crews from Portland General Electric and other utilities have been in the area this week, locating and protecting their infrastructure as PBOT crews dig into the roadway to make street improvements.
Crews from Portland General Electric as well as PBOT worked in the area of the West Burnside landslide. This photo is from Monday March 20. Photo by Linda Goheen, Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Closure area & detour
The largest landslide to affect a Portland street this
winter occurred at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 15. The road has been closed
since then.
The public should stay
away from the area until PBOT crews decide to reopen it. West Burnside
is closed to people biking, walking or driving between NW Skyline Blvd and SW
Barnes Road, near the Mount Calvary Cemetery. People driving through the area
are encouraged to use U.S. 26 or NW Cornell Road as alternate routes, or
consider public transit.
A signed detour guides westbound traffic to use SW
Skyline to Barnes Road, then to West Burnside. Eastbound traffic is directed to
SW Barnes, then SW Skyline before returning to West Burnside.
1,380 cubic yards removed
PBOT crews removed 1,380 cubic yards of debris on Wednesday through Friday. This is by far the largest of the 42 landslides PBOT crews have responded to this winter. A landslide on SW Skyline Blvd in February displaced more than 600 cubic yards of debris.
PBOT crews using 12-yard dump trucks have hauled scores of loads from the site, and forestry crews have also hauled woody debris.
Winter storms and spring rain have taken a toll on hills in the Portland area. PBOT crews have responded to 42 landslides this season, through March 15.
The public should stay away from the area. We ask travelers to observe all street closures and directions by reader boards and flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible.
PBOT crews are repairing multiple sinkholes today on West Burnside, including this one beside a storm drain. Such repairs will improve the road's condition and reduce the need for more expensive rebuilds and road closures in the future. Photo by Hannah Schafer, Portland Bureau of Transportation.
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VIDEO of PBOT crews using a long excavator March 16 to remove root balls, soil and other debris from the landslide. See PBOT's YouTube account.
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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation
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