NE and SE 82nd Avenue is about to get loud, dusty and a lot smoother. Starting Monday, May 18, road crews are kicking off a months-long repaving push that will replace failing pavement along one of Portland’s busiest corridors. Work is set for weekdays through late July, with at least one travel lane in each direction staying open. Drivers and nearby businesses are being told to plan for delays, short driveway interruptions and plenty of heavy equipment as contractors grind out damaged asphalt and rebuild the worst sections.
When and where crews will pave
The first stretch on the summer schedule is SE 82nd Avenue between SE Clinton and SE Brooklyn, with more segments to follow through late July. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, crews are planning to tackle NE Thompson to Hancock in mid-June, SE Brooklyn to Powell in late May and additional blocks into June and July. The map and timing are weather dependent, so neighbors should expect the schedule to move around a bit.
How crews will rebuild the road
PBOT says that on the inside three lanes, contractors will grind off the top layer of asphalt, then replace it with about 3 inches of fresh blacktop. The outside lanes will get a much deeper treatment. Those lanes will be excavated down to the base and rebuilt with roughly 13 inches of new asphalt designed to handle buses and freight traffic, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Concrete median islands will also be installed, with tree plantings scheduled for this fall. The mix of grind-and-pave work and full-depth rebuilds is intended to keep the corridor drivable for decades.
Who is building it and who paid for trees
Raimore Construction and its subcontractors are handling the major maintenance contract after the city picked the firm to lead the multi-month repaving effort, according to local reporting. As reported by KPTV, the work falls under the larger Building a Better 82nd program and taps the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund to help pay for new trees. The fresh pavement also lines up with TriMet’s long-term transit plans along the corridor. TriMet notes that Line 72 has the highest ridership in its network and will benefit from smoother lanes and upgraded crossings.
What travelers and businesses should expect
During construction, at least one travel lane each way will stay open, but drivers should be ready for rolling lane shifts, side-street closures and short-term driveway blockages as crews move through. Pedestrian access will be kept open through the work zones. Typical construction hours are expected to run on weekday mornings through afternoons, and residents near the corridor can expect noise, vibration and dust while heavy machinery is active. For questions or to sign up for construction email updates, PBOT directs people to contact the project team at [email protected] or call 503-865-8282.
Where this fits in the bigger picture
This repaving campaign is one piece of a multi-year push to tackle long-delayed maintenance and safety problems on 82nd Avenue. Hoodline previously covered sidewalk, signal and crossing upgrades; see the earlier report on 82nd Avenue milestones for background on sidewalk infill, new crossings and the first round of tree planting. PBOT says the Major Maintenance project will keep rolling out improvements along the corridor through 2026 as schedules and funding allow.
