Construction crews are out on Northeast 122nd Avenue, tearing into the pavement around NE Halsey to widen crosswalks, rebuild curb ramps and tweak traffic signals along one of Portland’s riskiest stretches of road. The work is the first visible piece of a broader city push to cut crashes and make it less nerve-racking to walk or catch the bus along the busy north–south corridor. Drivers can expect daytime lane closures and some stop-and-go delays while the upgrades go in.
What PBOT Is Changing
According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, this first phase focuses on widening crosswalks, bringing curb ramps up to ADA standards and retiming signals so people on foot get a clearer, more predictable right of way. The goal is to shorten crossing distances, improve sightlines and meet spacing and accessibility targets laid out in the city’s corridor plan. PBOT says it is zeroing in first on high-crash intersections, with more extensive work to follow along the rest of 122nd.
Residents Say Crossings Are Perilous
Neighbors around 122nd and Halsey say the changes are overdue. As reported by KPTV, the city has ranked the intersection as the fourth-most dangerous in Portland, logging nearly 80 crashes over four years and dozens of injuries. “It’s dangerous because even when I’m crossing, people want to go through the red light and almost hit me or my daughter,” resident Larissa Smith told KPTV. Nearby neighbor DJ Hatzblard said drivers still whip through turns while people are trying to cross, a habit the new layout and signal timing are supposed to help curb.
Funding And Timeline
The current round of work is paid for through PBOT’s corridor plan and federal safety money, including a $20 million USDOT Safe Streets grant that helped kick-start the larger effort, according to BikePortland. PBOT’s project pages show ADA ramp upgrades at NE 122nd and Halsey were slated for spring 2026, and the bureau now expects this initial construction window to run for roughly three months while crews wrap crosswalk widening and signal updates. More crossings, lighting upgrades and transit improvements are set to roll out along the corridor through the year under the city’s “Building a Safer 122nd” campaign.
