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Willamette River Crossing Project Online Open House

The Willamette River Crossing Project will build an earthquake-resilient water line deep under the Willamette River. The improvements we’re making will enhance our water system’s resilience, ensuring safe and abundant water for generations to come.

Welcome video

Stations

Go directly to a station using the buttons below, or click the button “Get Started” at the top of the screen to move through the stations in order. 

Why we're doing this
Understand the project purpose and need. 
Construction process
Learn about the construction process and potential impacts. 
East-side impacts
Learn about construction impacts on the east side of the Willamette. 
West-side impacts
Learn about construction impacts on the west side of the Willamette. 
Give feedback
Tell us how the project could affect you. 
Next steps
Find out what happens next and how to stay involved. 

= Page includes questions or opportunities for comment.

ASL introduction

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Portland water system illustration.

Portland water system illustration.

Why we're doing this

Portland is installing an earthquake-resilient water pipe deep under the Willamette River.

The pipes that carry water from the east to the west side of the Willamette River are more than 50 years old and will probably not survive a major earthquake. This could leave the city core without reliable water for six months or more. This pipe is a critical part of the system that will help us deliver water to the west side of the river, even after an earthquake.

As part of the Water Bureau’s Capital Improvement Program, this project is funded by revenue bond proceeds paid back with the utility ratepayers’ fund. This means current and future ratepayers contribute to the project.

Project background

In planning this project, the Portland Water Bureau studied potential locations for the new crossing. The study considered hydraulics, maintenance and shutdown requirements, locations of existing pipes, constraints of existing infrastructure (bridges, pilings, rail lines, etc.), and construction staging requirements.

Based on information gathered from a geotechnical probe we did in 2020 and additional testing in the spring of 2021, we have adjusted our plans. We have made our drilling depth a little shallower, moved the western connection point about 200 feet to the south, and are now using Direct Pipe instead of horizontal directional drilling. Through 2021 and early 2022, our contractor will fine-tune the design so that we can begin construction in summer 2022.

Portland water system illustration.

Portland water system illustration.

The project is in the design phase. Along with locating utilities, exploring sites, and testing soil, this phase includes conducting a geotechnical probe, which was completed in late 2020. The probe told us how the geology beneath the river will impact construction. It also helped us choose the best tools and the best path across the river.


ASL Why We're Doing This

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Cutaway Diagram

Project Locations

Construction process

Over the next four months, our contractor will fine-tune the design so we can begin construction in summer 2022.

How we’ll build

Our plan to install pipe includes three tunneling technologies, Direct Pipe, microtunneling, and Jack and Bore, as well as cutting trenches into the road surface. This will allow us to not only build an earthquake-resilient pipe under the river, but also replace about 1,000 feet of existing cast-iron pipe with new earthquake-resilient pipe.

Cutaway Diagram

Cutaway diagram.

Direct Pipe construction methodology

Direct pipe is an innovative trenchless technique that uses a boring machine to install a new water line. Direct pipe is often used to go underneath levees, railroad tracks, and bodies of water, like we plan to do underneath the Willamette River. This method allows crews to install shorter sections of pipe together, reducing the pipe staging area space needed within neighborhoods. 

Microtunnelling

Microtunneling is a versatile way to build tunnels in soils that are challenging to drill through, like the soil we have to dig through on the west side of the river. Microtunnel machines have an electric motor that makes the front end of the drill rotate. On the front end of the drill is a cutter head that cuts and excavates the ground as it moves forward. A thrusting mechanism at the back of the machine helps push the pipe into the hole created by the drill.

Jack and Bore

The Jack and Bore tunneling technique uses a machine that cuts a hole underground horizontally. As the machine drills the hole, it also functions like a jackhammer to push the new pipe casing into place. It’s great for tunneling under railroads, which we’ll need to do close to Water Avenue on the east side of the river.

Potential impacts

Work will generate noise and affect traffic parking and driveway access in several areas on both sides of the river. Because of this, we are working with our contractor to develop a plan to reduce or limit our impacts.

We anticipate the full project to take about two years. However, work will not be constant in all locations for the entire time. We will use our website, e-newsletter, and social media to keep people updated about when to prepare for construction nearby.

Project Locations

Project locations.

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Crews survey and mark the area

Crews cut the road and dig a trench.

Crews install the new pipe, fill the trench and apply temporary pavement or plates on top.

The new pipe is flushed, sanitized, and connected to the water system.

Crews restore the road surface.

East-side construction area map.

East-side impacts

Between the river and SE 10th Avenue, we’ll replace the pipes close to the road surface instead of tunneling. We’ll cut a trench into the road surface and install pipe in the trench (much like our standard work of replacing water mains across the city). Some benefits of this change:

  • We’re using this opportunity to replace about 1,000 feet of existing cast-iron pipe with new earthquake-resilient pipe. This strengthens a part of our system that is more likely to be damaged in an earthquake or leak due to age.
  • This will save us a significant amount of money because building a tunnel of this length is much more expensive than installing a pipe close to the road surface.
  • Compared to the previous plan, this will have much less impact on intersections, delivery bays, and business entrances on SE Stephens Street.

Impact details 

Crews recently completed soil sampling and underground utility locating. Bigger impacts will begin in 2022. 

Starting in late 2022, our work on this project will generate noise and affect traffic, parking, and driveway access in the streets and intersection around SE 3rd Avenue and SE Stephens Street (near the west end of SE Division Street), on SE Water Avenue near OMSI, and SE Stephens and SE Harrison Streets between SE MLK Jr. Boulevard and 11th Avenue. Most of the pipe in this area will be installed in a trench at the road surface. We will also launch the Direct Pipe drill, as well as an auger boring machine, from a location near OMSI and the Portland Community College - CLIMB Center. Work in the east-side construction area is expected to take about two years to complete.

East-side construction area map.

East-side construction area map.

Crews survey and mark the areaCrews cut the road and dig a trench. Crews install the new pipe, fill the trench and apply temporary pavement or plates on top.The new pipe is flushed, sanitized, and connected to the water system.Crews restore the road surface.
Crews survey and mark the area. Crews cut the road and dig a trench. Crews install the new pipe, fill the trench and apply temporary pavement or plates on top. The new pipe is flushed, sanitized, and connected to the water system. Crews restore the road surface.


ASL East-Side Impacts

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West-side construction area map

West-side construction area map

West-side impacts

Direct pipe travelling from the east-side will end up in a deep shaft that we will build in South Waterfront Park. We will build a microtunnel under S Montgomery Street from the park to S Harbor Drive. 

This method has the following benefits:

  • This allows us to install the pipe under a nearby park and road (instead of under a privately owned building as previously planned).
  • This helps us avoid the environmental risk and cost of our drill encountering marine pilings in the river.
  • Going under the road helps us maintain business and residential access for properties in the area and avoid unintentionally disrupting utilities (such as sewer pipe and electric and gas lines) that serve the area.

Impact details

Crews recently completed soil sampling and underground utility locating. Significant impacts will begin in 2022. 

Starting in late summer or fall of 2022, our work on this project will have the following impacts: 

  • It will create noise and dust, and affect traffic, parking, and driveway access along S Montgomery Street and S River Drive. It is possible that the eastern half of the traffic circle will be closed to travel and parking, while thru traffic will be allowed on the western half of the circle. 
  • It will partially limit access to parts of South Waterfront Park, the Riverwalk Esplanade, and Riverplace Marina. 
  • It will reduce lanes on the southbound Interstate 5 on-ramp from S Harbor Drive. 

Work in the west-side construction area is expected to take about two years to complete.

West-side construction area map

West-side construction area map.


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Feedback

We are looking for the community’s expertise on how we might reduce construction impacts and be  good neighbors. Use the form below to help us understand how the project could affect you.

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Project Timeline

Design is in progress. Construction is now expected to begin in 2022 and finish in 2024.

Project Timeline

Design is in progress. Construction is now expected to begin in 2022 and finish in 2024.

Next steps

Thank you for your interest in the project. Design is in progress. Over the next four months, our contractor will fine-tune the design so we can begin construction in summer 2022. Construction is expected to finish in 2024.

We will use the information you've shared today to help us be better neighbors during construction. For example, feedback might inform how we route construction vehicles, or how we manage pedestrian flow and business access near the construction site. We will report out on how we used this information as well as our plans going forward in our project e-newsletter.

Sign up for the e-newsletter at this link.

Thank you video

Schedule

Project Timeline|Design is in progress. Construction is now expected to begin in 2022 and finish in 2024.

More information

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