PORTLAND, Ore. — North Portland commuters, heads up. North Greeley Avenue is closed all week for paving. It's important to note the closure kicks in just north of the Going Street overpass. Inbound/southbound traffic is detoured onto Swan Island, before returning up the Going hill to Interstate Ave, or I-5.
Traffic to/from Swan Island, pre-COVID shutdown, averaged about 35-thousand vehicles per day. That number is obviously lower now but that detour will still add time & distance to the commute. Some drivers may be better served using Rosa Parks Way to get to I-5 southbound this week.
The I-5 on and off-ramps at Greeley Avenue are also closed.
Here's a better look at the detour:
In addition to the paving of Greeley, crews are progressing on the new multi-use path that will run along the east side of Greeley Ave.
"The Portland Bureau of Transportation is building the North Greeley Multi-Use Path, a two-way, one-mile path on the east side of North Greeley Avenue from North Going Street to North Interstate Avenue. The two-way bicycle and pedestrian facility will be protected from vehicle traffic with continuous concrete barriers"
Attached here is a rendering of the finished project.
Cyclists, runners and pedestrians will surely appreciate the safety upgrades. Previously, bike lanes ran on both sides of Greeley, a 45-mph road carrying heavy freight traffic to/from Swan Island. The paths themselves were often littered with debris. And southbound cyclists had the added fear of crossing two on-ramps, from Going Street, and to I-5. This new path eliminates those dangerous interactions. It's expected to be completed later this summer.
Here's a link to the project website.
PBOT is also making progress on the North Going Street Bridge repairs. You can read more about that here. That bridge was damaged last September when it was struck by a Union Pacific Train.