• Cornell Road storm damage causes closures from Skyline into Portland
• Murray Boulevard Sidewalk Improvement Project
• Butner Road closure in late April
• Murray Walker intersection improvements begin soon

Cornell Road storm damage causes closures from Skyline into Portland

On March 12, a member of Cedar Mill News Group on Facebook reported that a section of Cornell, from Skyline to Thompson Rd., was closed because of a landslide. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) said, “Between March 12 and 13, heavy rains caused a landslide on NW Cornell Road east of Skyline, and crews initially closed the shoulder. A sinkhole then formed near the slide, leading to the closure of the westbound lane. On March 16, additional damage was discovered as stormwater erosion undermined soil beneath the roadway. At that point, NW Cornell Road was closed to all travel between NW Thompson Road and NW Skyline Boulevard.”

Repairs to that section are still underway and may take several months. According to PBOT, “Due to the emergency nature of the project, it’s difficult to estimate how long the project will take. Multiple city partners (Environmental Services, PBOT, and Portland Water Bureau) are working together to further investigate the extent of flooding and landslide activities on NW Cornell Road. As of now, the city is working to hire emergency contractors and directly reaching out to impacted property owners in the area before any construction can begin. Once finalized, the contractor will forward a proposed lookahead schedule to share with the traveling public.”

Then, on March 27, another landslide occurred between the tunnels leading into Portland.

UPDATE: NW Cornell Road is REOPENED between the tunnels, east of the Bird Alliance of Oregon as of March 30.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has reopened a section of NW Cornell Road earlier than expected, after clearing debris from a landslide between the two tunnels that led to a closure of the key NW Portland route on March 27.

The reopening provides direct access to the Bird Alliance facility at 5151 NW Cornell Road. Go slow. Expect travel delays

PBOT announced, “Thank you to the PGE and Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry crews who worked to clear the downed power lines and trees from NW Cornell Road today! PBOT crews will be working overtime on Saturday and Sunday to clear landslide debris, expected to take 15 to 20 loads in 12-yard dump trucks. Then, we’ll consult with structural and geotechnical engineers from PBOT and other bureaus to see what it will take to get the slide into a safe condition.

“To do the work safely, requires daylight conditions, so we expect to be working on this slide well into next week. Thanks for continuing to avoid area! PBOT sign crews posted a detour route along West Burnside today, with signs as far east at NW 23rd Avenue and Lovejoy Street, and west at NW Skyline Boulevard and Cornell Road.”

Murray Boulevard Sidewalk Improvement Project

This project, expected to begin construction in May 2026, will add new sidewalks, new streetlights, and accessibility upgrades to improve safety along Murray Boulevard between Jenkins and Terman and along a section of Terman Road. Drivers should expect occasional lane closures and brief delays during daytime work. Once complete, the improvements will enhance safety and connectivity for everyone who uses Murray Boulevard.

Access for neighbors, pedestrians, and cyclists will remain open, though a few short detours may occur as crews move through the area. Check wc-roads.com for updated traffic advisories throughout the project.

The project is currently open for contractor bid,. Once a contractor has been selected, we will update the online open house and reopen it to the community. The open house will include the project background, design, and will focus on the construction phase: Murray Boulevard Sidewalk Improvement Online Open House.

Butner Road closure in late April

April 27-28, Butner Road between Downing St. and Murray Bl

Closed for utility work. Avoid the area. Use alternate route. Emergency services will not be maintained during closure. Visit wc-roads.com to see all area road closures.

Murray Walker intersection improvements begin soon

Washington County will improve the Walker Road and Murray Boulevard intersection with dual left-turn lanes and dedicated right-turn lanes on all four sides of the intersection. Construction is expected to begin in late April and continue through 2028. Travelers can expect lane closures and daytime flagging throughout construction.

The project will also add a third southbound lane on Murray Boulevard, from south of Butner Road through the Walker Road intersection. The additional lane will become a dedicated right-turn lane at Bowerman Drive, south of the intersection.

Other improvements include replacing two bridges over Cedar Mill Creek, adjacent to the intersection, and replacing two culverts on Walker Road between Far Vista and Park Way.

Walker Road will be closed east of Murray Boulevard for about a month while we replace the culvert on north Johnson Creek, planned for summer 2027.

This project is in partnership with the city of Beaverton, Clean Water Services and Tualatin Valley Water District.

An in-person Open House was held in March. You can view the maps that were displayed on the project page, and email the project team with any questions you have.