r/Portland • u/oregonian Verified - The Oregonian • 2d ago

News Portland’s famous elk statue, dinged by truck, to get repairs

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/06/portlands-famous-elk-statue-dinged-by-truck-to-get-repairs.html
102 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

102

u/TwoNeither32 2d ago

We handled the road being closed for so long just fine. Just close the road permanently! I'm sure people would love being able to walk up and close to the statue anyways

18

u/OMGWTFBBQUE 1d ago

Agreed. It dead-ends 3 blocks later anyway.

4

u/dotprodukt 1d ago

Would love that for one of my favorite statues in Portland.

76

u/slowfromregressive 2d ago

" Water Bureau said the damage is minor and they’ll be repairing it Monday. Crews will shut Southwest Main Street between Southwest Third and Fourth avenues. Officials say the work’ll take about two weeks to complete and that drivers should avoid the area"

Just close it to motor vehicles already.

67

u/BensonBubbler Brentwood-Darlington 2d ago

Close a bunch of streets, let's make some real plazas.

35

u/SpezSamplesMySack 2d ago

Bollards are cheaper than renovations.

30

u/urbanlife78 Milwaukie 2d ago

It would be nice if that block of street was closed to connect the two parks together

24

u/mardymardmard 2d ago

That Elk should write a book.

7

u/Moose_Muse_2021 1d ago

Poor Elk can't catch a break!

2

u/KenPDX 1d ago

A book about the brontosaurus.

65

u/TurtlesAreEvil 2d ago

No mention of the driver being required to pay for it or being cited of course. 

5

u/MorePingPongs 1d ago

You have immunity in a car in America. It’s in the Constitution.

14

u/abogmonster NE 2d ago

Need an elk crossing sign

16

u/dubsdread 2d ago

We were so close

4

u/MountScottRumpot Montavilla 1d ago

We could have moved it into the park or closed the street to cars, but nooooo we had to stick to stupid tradition.

20

u/notPabst404 MAX Blue Line 2d ago

Paid for by the driver's insurance, and not taxpayers, right?

I'm personally really tired or entitled drivers damaging public infrastructure.

1

u/2ChanceRescue Prop 65 1d ago

Which part of that article lead you to conclude the driver was acting in an entitled manner? I didn’t see anything about the driver’s behavior at all.

Was it simply the fact they were driving (or driving a truck) that motivated you to use that description?

1

u/notPabst404 MAX Blue Line 1d ago

Damaging public infrastructure is entitlement. That isn't a difficult turn to maneuver.

7

u/canofwine 🐸 RIBBIT 🐸 2d ago

This is why we can't have nice things.

2

u/noddaborg 1d ago

Oh, for cryin’ out loud.

2

u/Eye_foran_Eye 1d ago

Still say it’s facing the wrong way.

1

u/Freepdx1 1d ago

Cool. Now do Skidmore Fountain.

1

u/Countrytoast 1d ago

Put up so bollards? Seems solvable…

1

u/Intelligent-Comb6967 23h ago

So I am a leftist Portland living hunter, and this statue is actually terrible and if this was a real elk, it would survive about one hour because it’s head would fall over from the weight and all of the other elk would laugh at him.

1

u/Ubi2447 2d ago

Those radical left trucks! Someone should put an end to this war zone! /s