After a long winter in horrible condition, 122nd Avenue between 1-84 and Northeast San Rafael Street, designated a “high-crash corridor,” gets repaved. STAFF/2017

After a long winter in horrible condition, 122nd Avenue between 1-84 and Northeast San Rafael Street, designated a “high-crash corridor,” gets repaved.
STAFF/2017

Whether they’re working with rain or shine, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has been moving right along with their many construction conquests along Northeast 122nd Avenue. Disheartened by the rebellious February rainfall, crews have struck back against Mother Nature to keep up with scheduling.

Twenty-nine crews patched up more than 900 potholes on March 10 alone. Typically, the city patches about 8,000 potholes a year, which works out to 670 a month. In March, a month’s worth of potholes was handled in a single day.

Unfortunately, Northeast 122nd Avenue has been designated a “high-crash corridor” due to its consistently high number of traffic collisions in recent years. PBOT has promised road repaving, pothole maintenance, gravel and debris sweeping and road scoring. Here’s a quick update on progress seen throughout the past month:

Northeast 122nd Avenue between Stanton and Halsey streets
Northeast 122nd Avenue between Stanton and Halsey is at the front of the queue in terms of roadwork completion. Expedited maintenance means that contractors grind off the surface of the street during the winter (e.g., in rainy conditions), making the street immediately accessible for a different crew to lay fresh asphalt as soon as dry weather occurs. PBOT expects that the work here will total about five days.

Northeast 102nd Avenue between East Burnside and Northeast Weidler Street is also toward the front of the queue, with work there predicted to take a total of 13 days. Both projects were originally intended to be completed by late February, but they were delayed due to menacing weather.

Northeast 122nd Avenue from I-84 to Northeast Skidmore Street
Here, contractors are steadily working on a $3.7 million contract paving job that is meant to replace the top three inches of pavement while also providing some related improvements to curb ramps and nearby traffic signals.

Due to a lack of public funding, this project had been delayed for years. However, there is good news. Recent economic improvements, such as rising property tax collections, have allowed the Portland City Council to prioritize improvements east of 82nd Avenue. The Northeast/Southeast 122nd Avenue corridor is a priority, as it is quintessential for a sizable swath of local businesses and civilians alike.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of the construction, contractors plan to grind off the top layer of the asphalt and then replace it with fresh pavement. Fortunately, work could begin in late March, as several dry days appeared. This is somewhat extraordinary, considering February’s record-breaking wrath of rainstorms. The silver lining to heavy roadwork: When the permanent pavement is finally dished out, it is set to last a decade.

Northeast 122nd Avenue between Northeast Fargo and Fremont streets
According to PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera, PBOT has asked their contractor to quickly patch up potholes on Northeast 122nd Avenue near Northeast Fremont Street. This response is a consequence of consistent public complaint.