At last night's Pearl District Neighborhood Association Planning and Transportation Committee meeting, Sheils Obletz Johnson, construction and operation manager of Portland Streetcar, discussed the construction of the east side streetcar expansion and, more specifically, how that would affect the Pearl District.
Construction of the Pearl District portion of the streetcar expansion is scheduled to begin February 1, 2010. The initial construction will be advanced utility work, similar to the construction occurring on the east side along Grand Avenue and MLK Boulevard at East Burnside. Advanced utility work includes maintenance and upgrades to any utilities n the vicinity of the rail line. It's important that this work is done prior to installation of the tracks, because it is more cost effective and will prevent service disruptions later.
Here is a schedule of the work to be performed in the Pearl District:
February 1 thru May 31, 2010
Sewer work will occur on NW 9th Avenue between NW Kearny and NW Lovejoy and on NW Lovejoy between NW 9th and NW 10th venues. Sewer work will also occur at NW 11th & NW Lovejoy, and minor work at NW 11th & NW Marshall and NW 11th & Northrup.
May 3 thru June 28, 2010
Water line work will occur on NW Lovejoy between NW 9th and NW 11th avenues. Additional work will occur on NW 10th and NW 11th avenues between NW Lovejoy and NW Marshall.
July 5 thru September 6, 2010—Broadway Bridge Closure
The Broadway Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic for 60 days while tracks are installed on the bridge and the Lovejoy ramp. Pedestrians and bicycles will be able to use the bridge during most—but not all—of the 60-day closure
September 6 thru October 25, 2010
installation of tracks. During these 45 days, NW Lovejoy will be closed between NW 12th and NW 9th avenues. NW 10th and NW 11th avenues from NW Johnson to NW Marshall will also be closed, but residents of Park Place and The Metropolitan will have garage access. NW Northrup between NW 10th & NW 11th, and NW 11th between NW Northrup and NW Marshall will also be closed. The map below identifies roads that will be closed during this phase of construction.
September 13 thru September 26, 2010—Streetcar Service Shut Down
During these two weeks when key track intersections are being installed, the streetcar will not be running. These intersections require the removal of existing track and the installation of very customized intersections. Bus service will be offered during these two weeks and will follow the streetcar route as closely as possible, given the street closures and detours.
Throughout the construction there will be lane closures and detours. All sidewalks and cross walks will remain open. Park Place residents will likely experience the most significant disruption, as NW 11th Avenue from NW Johnson to the garage entrance will become a two-way street, with a short stretch immediately in front of the garage limited to a single lane for both directions.
Detailed drawings of the construction, street closures, and detours will be available in late January before construction begins. The reason for last night's presentation was to get feedback from the committee about the proposed plans and detours. Johnson will make modifications based on that feedback.
More information about the streetcar and the Streetcar Loop Project can be found at the Portland Streetcar web site.
I am confused. Mentions Burnside bridge closure. I thought it was going over the Broadway Bridge.
Thanks Joan, I did name the wrong bridge, but have corrected it. It is the Broadway Bridge that will be closed. You'd think I would have learned my bridge names by now! ; )
Aren't those two northernmost street closures supposed to be around Tanner Springs? They are one block too far to the west on the map, no?
Thanks for catching that Michael! I've made the changes to the map so that the correct streets around Tanner Springs Park are marked.