PBOT does not want you to die.

"Stay away!
The area is NOT SAFE for anyone

(April 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation advises the traveling public that SW Tichner Drive will remain closed until further notice, between West Burnside and SW Kingston Avenue, due to continued risk from a landslide.

It is crucial for the public to avoid the area, which remains at risk of another slide at any time. Do not go past any barricades.

On Saturday, March 29, hundreds of cubic yards of rocky material broke free from a steep, 100-foot tall rock face. The dislodged rock mass landed primarily in a PBOT sand storage lot below, but some rocks the size of bowling balls spilled onto SW Tichner Drive.

A similar mass adjacent to that one is poised to fall, this time directly onto the roadway. It could fall at any time—without prior warning.

We ask the public to avoid the area and expect delays if traveling in the vicinity near Washington Park. Follow the signed detour route via SW Vista Avenue and SW Park Place through Washington Park.

Use caution and travel slowly on the detour route, which may have more traffic than normal.

Stay away! Acute risk remains of large rocks to fall at any time

Landslides are highly unpredictable and can be very dangerous. We have closed SW Tichner Drive for safety and ask that the public stay a safe distance from the area.

It is closed to all travel, including anyone driving, walking, biking or using a mobility device.

PBOT engineers are monitoring the area closely and have observed indications of additional movement and rockfall this week.

PBOT is consulting with geotechnical engineers with the Bureau of Environmental Services on next steps. PBOT also expects to hire a contractor that specializes in stabilizing and protecting sheer rock walls, with special materials, equipment and techniques.

Once it is safe for city crews to work at the site, PBOT will need to orchestrate the removal of many dump truck loads of material to be loaded and trucked out of the area.

There is no estimate for how long it will take to accomplish the work needed to make the area safe.

The roadway will be re-opened once it is determined the area is stable and protective measures are in place.

PBOT is the city's lead for response to flooding and landslides that impact city streets. In recent months, crews have cleared several slides that had impacts on city streets.

Barricades and signs mark the closure of SW Tichner Drive. The area is not safe for travel by any mode of transportation because of a landslide. Photo by PBOT.
Stay informed with email, text alerts and report road hazards to PBOT

Sign up for email or SMS text message updates on traffic advisories, winter weather tips and more.

Notices are also posted to PBOT's X/Twitter account @PBOTinfo and web site portland.gov/transportation

For more information on landslides in Portland, see the PBOT website on landslides, flooding and sandbags.

Report road hazards including downed trees or water blocking travel lanes to PBOT’s 24-hour hotline: pdxroads@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-1700."

Great for the students. Less swell for commuters. Let's check the 10-day weather forecast...

Not terrible. In fact, there are these weird sunny days in the middle. One of them is predicted to hit 77F. Ha ha. It will probably be 119F.

[Across the entire metropolitan area, phalanxes of air conditioners are readied for action.]

From PBOT:

"The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that the second phase of paving work on SW Fourth Avenue will begin Thursday, March 20. This second phase of paving work is focused on the eastern lanes of SW Fourth Avenue between SW Lincoln and SW Harrison streets near Portland State University. Later phases of work will repave SW Fourth Avenue northward to West Burnside.

During this phase of paving work, contractors working on behalf of PBOT will excavate the existing pavement, repair the road base, and pave back with new asphalt. The existing pavement on SW Fourth Avenue is severely deteriorated in the section, with cracking and water infiltration that extends below the surface of the roadway.

To address the failing road base, crews working on behalf of PBOT will perform a full-depth reconstruction to rebuild the roadway from the ground up to provide a long-lasting street. Crews will start with excavating the eastern lanes of SW Fourth Avenue between SW Lincoln and SW Harrison streets by removing the damaged pavement. Once excavation and repairs to the roadway base are complete, they will return to lay new asphalt pavement on top of the new road base, ensuring a durable driving surface that will last for decades to come.

This work has been scheduled over Portland Public Schools' and Portland State University’s Spring Break to minimize disruption and traffic impacts. Weather dependent, it is scheduled to be completed by Sunday, March 30. This second phase of paving follows earlier paving work in this segment completed this summer on the western side of the roadway.

One lane of SW Fourth Avenue will remain open during construction. People driving, biking and taking transit on SW Fourth Avenue can expect delays, especially during the morning and evening commutes. Parking near the work zone will be restricted during construction. Vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle access will be maintained.

Starting tomorrow, March 20, Exit 1B (Fourth Avenue Exit) from I-405 northbound will be closed, with drivers detoured to the next exit Exit 1C (Sixth Ave Exit). The Fourth Avenue exit is expected to reopen by 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, weather dependent.

Access to PSU’s 4th Avenue Parking Garage at 1900 SW Fourth Avenue will be restricted for paving operations starting at 6 a.m. on Saturday March 29. Access will be restored by Sunday, March 30 at 5 p.m.
A freshly poured new ADA-compliant curb extension at the SW Fourth and Columbia intersection. Photo by PBOT.

A freshly poured new ADA-compliant curb extension at the SW Fourth and Columbia intersection. Photo by PBOT.

Over the next three weeks active construction will also be underway at the intersections of SW Fourth Avenue at Madison and Main streets. This work will be focused on upgrading corner ramps to meet modern accessibility standards and installing foundations and conduit for updated streetlights. Required sawcutting and demolition will be noisy at times. This work is setting the stage for the third phase of paving work later this summer.

Work on SW Fourth Avenue continues to progress northward to West Burnside, with a focus on replacing outdated corner ramps with new ADA-compliant ones. PBOT expects the full paving project to be completed by the end of 2025.
Map showing current construction activity on SW Fourth Ave.
Go slow and use caution to keep crews safe when traveling near work zones

We ask the public to travel slowly and cautiously in work zones, observe all detours and directions by reader boards and flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. As always, please keep crews safe by following all traffic control signs and flaggers while travelling through or near work zones. Parking near the work zone will be restricted during construction. Vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle access will be maintained.

PBOT will provide periodic updates throughout construction. To sign up for construction updates, visit www.portland.gov/sw4thAve.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we complete this work."

Checking the ol' inbox so you don't have to.

When the levee breaks. Traffic breaks on Marine Drive, in this case. Temporarily narrowing 6 inches of this roadway is capable of generating large, long-lasting traffic jams. It's for a good cause.

From PBOT:

Traffic Advisory:

Installation of safety improvements on NE Marine Drive, a high crash corridor, will require lane closures from NE 33rd to 185th avenue in February and early March

(Feb. 6, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public that installation of reflective, metal roadside delineators along NE Marine Drive will require crews to narrow the road from two lanes to one for a small section of the roadway, starting Tuesday, Feb. 11 through early March.
Vision Zero logo 300px small

Each weekday for up to six weeks, crews will close a single lane of the two-lane road, for about 300 feet, to make a safe work zone. During that time, flaggers will direct traffic around the work zone, with eastbound and westbound travelers alternating use of a single lane. The work zone will be moved multiple times a day as crews work their way through an 8-mile stretch of NE Marine Drive, from NE 33rd Avenue near Portland International Airport to the city limits near NE 185th Avenue.

Travelers who frequently use Marine Drive during weekday hours are encouraged to expect delays or use alternate routes. Electronic message boards in the area will show major intersections where travelers may want to turn to avoid the lane closure.

The project is part of the City of Portland's Vision Zero effort to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.

Marine Drive is a narrow, two-lane roadway built atop a levee that prevents Columbia River flooding. It is one of the most dangerous streets in Portland, one of 30 high crash corridors that account for the majority of traffic deaths in Portland over the years. From 2017 to 2021, Marine Drive had 16 traffic deaths -- more than any other corridor in the city.

Marine Drive has one of the highest rates of roadway departure crashes in Portland. With long distances between intersections and traffic signals, people driving often exceed the speed limit in the area. With narrow shoulders and a steep drop off because of the levee structure, vehicles that leave the roadway face a steep drop into the river or nearby natural areas or industrial land.

In 2023, there were five traffic deaths on Marine Drive, including three in the area of this project.

Metal roadside delineators are a simple and affordable way to help drivers see the roadway edge. They are a proven countermeasure for reducing roadway departure crashes, especially in areas like NE Marine Drive where there are wide open spaces and few buildings or other structures to call attention to the roadway width.

The public is advised to expect delays, travel cautiously, observe all lane closures, and directions by flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible.

Work is expected to begin as early as Feb. 11 and last five to six weeks. Work hours will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Local access to residences and businesses will be provided.

This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.

I read my email so you don't have to.

Well, okay, only some of it. Do you really need to know what Old Navy has on sale?

They've been de-icing major streets around the Portland metro area, but should you live on a hill they ignore, you'll want to be up early with some popcorn at the ready. If you're lucky, someone in a vehicle with summer tires sans studs or chains will try to go up your hill.

Kids, grease the sleds and dishes. It might be icy for a bit.

Extra fun: Sliding down the hill when someone is burning rubber trying to go up it.

PBOT has a message for us all, and they're getting wordy with this one:

"(Feb. 4, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the traveling public to prepare for freezing temperatures and potential snow overnight Tuesday night and during the Wednesday morning commute.

If you're traveling on Wednesday morning, use extreme caution as streets and sidewalks will likely be frozen and slick, creating hazardous conditions for all travelers.

PBOT has been activated for winter weather response since late last week and is working around the clock. Last night, PBOT crews placed more than 8,000 gallons of liquid anti-icer on Portland streets and they're ready for the potential for snow during tomorrow's morning commute.

The National Weather Service has advised PBOT that showers turning to snow could start by midnight tonight, continuing through the Wednesday morning commute in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. Conditions may worsen before dawn, with a 40-60% chance of 1 inch of snow and 10-30% chance of 2 inches of snow on Wednesday morning. Road conditions may improve over the course of a few hours, as temperatures warm later in the morning.
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Any snow that does accumulate at lower elevations, such as downtown and Central Portland neighborhoods, is expected to thaw during afternoons. But areas above 500 feet elevation may see freezing temperatures persist into the afternoon before warming up. There is high confidence that below freezing temperatures return at night through the rest of week, so roadways could get slick as wet roads may refreeze overnight.

The forecast has some uncertainty. In the days and hours in advance of a winter storm, forecasts often change. If you are traveling tomorrow morning, please adjust your plans to the conditions you see in real time.

Respond to weather conditions you see while traveling

People driving, walking or biking are advised to be prepared to respond to the weather conditions you see on your trip. If you see snow or icy precipitation, slow down. Use extra caution. Be prepared to slow down or pull over to park your vehicle and wait for conditions to improve. Dress warmly.

The public should be prepared for worse conditions than is forecast, including more snow and snowfall that arrives earlier or later than expected. Forecasts come with uncertainty, and weather forecasters have difficulty predicting snow in the Portland area.

Be prepared to travel based on the conditions you encounter during your trip, including carrying traction devices like chains and an emergency weather kit in your vehicle. Helpful items to include in addition to chains are a snow shovel, bag of sand, jumper cables, first aid kit, basic tools (pliers, wrench, screwdriver and knife), blanket and warm clothing, extra food and water, cell phone and extra charger, and a flashlight.

View additional winter weather travel tips online.

During winter weather, PBOT works to keep vital public transit lines and emergency routes open. These snow and ice routes are the most critical for our city’s police and fire stations, hospitals, schools, frequent bus routes, the downtown core, and major business districts -- about a third of our entire street grid. PBOT’s mission is to provide at least one passable lane in each direction on these routes so that vehicles with front wheel drive or traction devices can get through.

See our Winter Weather Center for a full interactive map of our routes."