Photo: Brad Newgard
The first substantial April snow in Portland in more than half a century has felled more than 400 trees across the city, felling power lines and blocking major Northwest and Southwest Portland routes that will remain closed for several days.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is coordinating road closure information and response. When it comes to downed power lines and trees blocking roads, the bureau depends on the efforts of partners who specialize in those emergencies. On Monday, road crews were not able to reach some areas to clear snow and ice because of downed trees and power lines blocking the way.
PGE crews are working to restore power as quickly as safety allows. That work is critical to restoring power for residents and businesses, but also to make roadside areas safe for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Urban Forestry crews to clear the large woody debris.
PBOT crews came in Sunday to prepare for the potential for snow and icy conditions. With a forecast of freezing temperatures at high elevation areas for Monday night, PBOT will have additional crews working overnight to use anti-icing chemicals to try to prevent roads from freezing again.
Travelers should use caution on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Beware of areas with black ice that causes road surfaces to be slick and may be difficult to see.
U.S. Highway 26 was closed for a period on Monday but has been reopened by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Check highway conditions before you go at TripCheck.com
Some road closures are impacting bus service. Check trimet.org for the latest service information before you go.
Road closures likely to continue for several days
Many major routes through the West Hills were closed on Monday and will remain closed, potentially for several days, including:
W Burnside Street (from NW Skyline Boulevard to NW 24th Avenue)
NW Skyline Boulevard (from NW Newberry Road to NW Germantown Road)
NW Skyline Boulevard (from W Burnside Street to NW Cornell Road)
SW Capitol Highway (from SW Terwilliger Boulevard to SW Barbur Boulevard)
NW Germantown Road (from NW Skyline Boulevard to NW Bridge Avenue)
NW Cornell Road (at NW Miller Road; also from Skyline to NW 25th Avenue for tunnel maintenance)
Other closures in areas with more nearby alternative routes include: N Willamette Boulevard (at N Hodge Avenue), NE 28th Avenue (from NE Irving Street to NE Hoyt Street) and SE César E. Chávez Boulevard (from SE Main Street to SE Hawthorne Boulevard).
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation