On September 12, 2016, the Portland Water Bureau began with their project to update the Washington Park reservoir site. The project includes building a new, seismically reinforced below-ground reservoir and adding new public areas for Park-users
The first two years of this project will trigger the most significant impacts Park visitors. Road closures and removal of parking will be the most noticeable impacts to those visiting the north end of the Park where the Rose Garden, Portland Japanese Garden and the Holocaust Memorial are located.
The Garden is working diligently with Portland Parks & Recreation, Explore Washington Park, and other stakeholders to identify and implement better solutions as this project continues.
Stay tuned for changes that will probably occur in traffic flow and parking options in the year ahead. Meanwhile, here are some alternative transportation options:
- TriMet: Starting on September 12, Bus Line-63 will add Saturday and Sunday service to the existing weekday service. It will continue to stop at the corner of SW Fairview & SW Kingston (4 minute walk to Garden) and in front of the Garden entrance once per hour.
- TriMet: Bus Line-20 runs roughly every 20 minutes, seven days a week. It drops off down on W. Burnside and 23rd Place (Uptown Shopping Center) and is a 15 minute walk up to the Garden.
- Explore Washington Park Free Shuttle: The free Washington Park shuttle will switch to weekend-only service after Labor Day and will continue until the end of October.
Click here for what the Portland Water Bureau has proposed for traffic flows in Washington Park.
Access to North-End of Washington Park
- Access continues via existing routes from SW Burnside, SW Fairview and SW Kingston.
- The park entrance at SW Park Place cannot be used to enter Washington Park.
- At the intersection of SW Park Place and SW Lewis & Clark Way, only one-way traffic departing the Park will be allowed.
SW Sacajawea Blvd: Closing
- From September 12, 2016 for 12-18 months, SW Sacajawea Blvd will be completely closed to all traffic, pedestrian use, and bike traffic from the intersection of SW Sacajawea Boulevard/SW Rose Park Road/SW Wright Road down the hill to SW Park Place.
- All parking spaces will be closed on SW Sacajawea and SW Sherwood Boulevards.
- Portland Water Bureau will install a multi-use route for safe-access for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side of the SW Lewis and Clark Circle to provide connection to SW Park Place.
SW Lewis & Clark Way: Reversed Traffic Flow
- Beginning September 12, traffic flow on the loop’s SW Lewis & Clark Way portion will be reversed. One-way traffic will now move down the hill on SW Lewis & Clark Way and exit out on SW Park Place.
- Multi-use route: The Water Bureau will provide a multi-use safe route for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side of the SW Lewis and Clark Circle.
New Exits from Washington Park
- From the north-end: Continue using existing routes along SW Kingston and SW Tichner to SW Burnside, uphill on SW Fairview to Skyline, and towards the Zoo on SW Kingston.
- To exit eastbound down the hill toward downtown Portland: Traffic can exit the park toward downtown by heading downhill on SW Tichner to SW Marconi. Use SW Washington Way loop to SW Lewis and Clark Way (reversed flow) onto SW Park Place.