Back Cove project will cause Exit 7 ramp closures
Mar. 6—Portland will alternating closures to the on and off ramps at Interstate 295 Exit 7 for eight weeks this spring.
The closures are related to the Back Cove South Storage Facility project, as workers need to connect existing utilities within the intersection of Marginal Way and Franklin Street to the new stormwater/sewage storage tanks under the playing fields.
This phase will last eight weeks beginning March 15. The state has requested work be completed by Memorial Day, which is May 31.
"The City will be placing variable message boards with the latest ramp closure information in the vicinity of the work," a news release said. "The ramp closures will vary during the eight week timeframe so motorists should pay attention to the message boards or make plans to seek alternate routes during this time."
The project is meant to reduce the amount of raw sewage and polluted stormwater runoff being discharged into the cove though antiquated combined sewer and stormwater overflows, or CSOs. The overflows are safety valves built into the city's original sewers and were designed release diluted sewage during storms so it didn't flood the treatment plant, or back up into homes.
The $40 million project is the city's largest sewer-stormwater project to date. It's being funded through wastewater fees, which are based on water usage by homeowners and businesses. The entire project is likely to be complete in 2022.
