Bike lanes on Southeast Powell Boulevard east of I-205 are slated for upgrades as part of an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) project.
ODOT started work on a three-mile stretch of SE Powell from SE 99th to 174th (city limits) in 2019 at total project cost of $158 million. The project was allocated $110 million by the Oregon Legislature in 2017 with the condition that once the changes were made, ownership of the road would be transferred to the City of Portland. The first phase of this project was completed in 2020 and focused on Powell between SE 122nd Ave to SE 136th Ave. At a cost of $25 million, ODOT added new bike lanes (one side elevated to sidewalk level), new lighting, more crossings, upgraded traffic signals, transit stop improvements, new sidewalks, and more.
Phase two of the project consists of two sections, from SE 99th to 122nd and from SE 136th to SE 174th (city limits). ODOT plans to match the cross-section from phase one, which also includes one less driving lane. A key goal of the project is to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes and reduce conflicts between all road users.
ODOT says construction will begin this spring and is expected to last five years. The project was expected to break ground in summer of 2022 but for some reason (that I’m not yet clear on), it was delayed. A major project on Powell just west of this project has also been delayed and neighbors have ramped up pressure on agency leaders and elected officials as deaths and injuries continue to pile up.
Once ODOT is done with this project, they’ll hand over ownership and maintenance responsibilities to the City of Portland as part of a jurisdictional transfer that was ordered by the legislature in 2017.