The Portland Bureau of Transportation just announced a repaving project that will require bicycle users to detour off North Williams Avenue for two weeks beginning this Tuesday.

PBOT plans to grind down and then repave Williams as part of regularly scheduled maintenance on a one-mile stretch between Beech and Killingsworth. The project will require lane closures from September 4th through September 18th from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm and possibly on weekends. They also say bicycle users “will be detoured” around the work zone onto an adjacent street.

Here’s more from PBOT:

Streets with ground down surfaces are open for travel. Lane closures are only in effect during project hours. Access will be maintained for businesses and residents during the project. For the safety of people biking on this popular bike route, bicyclists will be detoured onto NE Cleveland between N Beech and N Killingsworth.


Cleveland is one block east of Williams.

Asked about the detour today, a PBOT spokesperson said bicycle users are welcome to share the lane with others if they’re comfortable doing so. The spokesperson also said the advisory calls for a detour for bicycle riders to Cleveland because, “Ground pavement is a rough ride in a car, and we think people biking may be significantly less comfortable on a ground surface. So we advise alternate routes.”

Williams Avenue is the sixth busiest street for bicycle users in the city. PBOT counted 3,835 bicycle trips per day at Williams and Going in 2017.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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n williams ave, route advisory