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Limited weekday closures of a small portion of Southwest Yamhill Street, next to where Hoffman Construction Co. is building what is widely rumored to be an Apple store, are expected to occur this week and next.

Hoffman had requested an exemption to Portland’s monthlong holiday moratorium on right-of-way closures to keep a portion of the street between Fourth and Fifth avenues closed throughout the holiday shopping season. Safety concerns, accessibility and risk of water penetration were factors in the company’s decision to make the request, according to an application filed with the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Company officials said they needed the space to accommodate mobile cranes to build the new store, which is slated to open in the first quarter of 2014. The Holiday Moratorium Committee denied that request; members balanced the project team’s needs with those of shoppers throughout the busy holiday season.

After the initial request was denied, Hoffman worked with the Holiday Moratorium Committee and made a new request that would allow crews to locate a smaller crane that could be moved off the street each night, according to a letter from Jeri Jenkins, Central Business District program manager for PBOT. Additionally, Hoffman will be allowed to close the streets under an amended schedule, according to the letter.

The approved schedule is: Dec. 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18, closure is permitted from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Dec. 19-29, the street will remain open all hours, all days; Dec. 30, closure is permitted all hours as needed.