6 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
October 2011
Sewer construction on Interstate 5 ramp at Multnomah Blvd rescheduled
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
The Portland Bureau of Environ-
mental Quality will continue with
sewer work in southwest Portland,
to the chagrin of some.
The pending closure of the
Multnomah on and off-ramps to
the Interstate 5 freeway as part of
the Burlingame Sewer Trunkline
Replacement Project, originally
scheduled to begin September 6,
was moved back to October 3, ac-
cording to BES spokesperson Ste-
phen Sykes.
The bureau hopes to complete
the work and re-open the ramps by
November 16, Sykes said; they have
a mandate to finish by November
18 so as not to interfere with access
to Multnomah Village during the
holiday shopping season. However,
some merchants feel that holiday
shopping will have begun in earnest
by November.
The City will have signage direct-
ing downtown-bound motorists
to Southwest 40 th Avenue, Capitol
Highway, Huber Street, and the
Capitol Highway on-ramp as a de-
tour route, Sykes says.
There is some concern that the
detour will burden the already-con-
gested Barbur Boulevard-Capitol
Highway interchange. Sykes com-
mented, “There are other ways to
get to I-5 and Barbur, and we would
expect and encourage motorists to
use all of them.”
During the closure all traffic,
including bikes and pedestrians,
will be diverted from Southwest
Multnomah Boulevard at 22 nd Av-
enue, Sykes said. Westbound traffic
on Multnomah Boulevard will be
open.
Meanwhile, BES has been relocat-
ing fiber optic cable on the north side
of Multnomah Boulevard between
Barbur Boulevard and 31 st Avenue,
and this should be complete by early
this month if it isn’t already, Sykes
said. Later this year this section of
Multnomah Boulevard will be re-
paved, Sykes said.
Fanno Creek sewer pump under
construction on 86 th Avenue
BES is also working on the cre-
ation of a new Fanno Creek Basin
sanitary sewer pump station west
of an existing one on Southwest 86 th
Avenue, in unincorporated Wash-
ington County.
During a public hearing, BES spokes-
person Dan Hibert said the existing
pump , constructed 12 years ago, has
proven “inadequate” for the flow
and a new pump is considered to
be “the most efficient way” to deal
with the issue.
Michael Lilly, a neighbor, object-
ed. Much of the Fanno Creek Basin,
“including my house,” is served by
Washington County’s Clean Water
Services. If such a facility is to be
built, Lilly said, “It should impact
the people who benefit from it”
rather than people such as himself.
He is not alone, Lilly said; Wash-
ington County authorities “turned
the proposal down big time” in
2010. A better approach would be
This photo taken July 12, 2010 by a city inspector shows new sewer pipes being
installed along Multnomah Boulevard.
to fix leaking storm water pipes in
the west hills, which are the root of
the problem, Lilly said.
Hibert said the current proposal
is significantly different from the
one proposed in 2010. He agreed
that leaking storm water pipes is
a contributing factor, and that re-
pairing them is his bureau’s “long
term” approach.
However, Hibert added, “There
are very valid technical reasons
why it must be located where it’s lo-
cated. We will make it as compatible
(with nearby residences) as possible
in terms of noise, odors and vibra-
tions.” Asked if CPO3, Washington
County’s citizen involvement or-
ganization, is happy with the plan,
Hibert said, “No, they’re not.”
PoSt a to Z BuSINESS CaRD DIRECtoRy 503-244-6933