Portland Debuts First “Creative Crosswalks”

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Robby Davis, GolocalPDX Contributor

Strolling across the streets of downtown Portland is about to become far more entertaining for pedestrains.

Commissioner Steve Novick, PBOT Director Leah Treat and Old Town business leaders will be coming together on June 9th to dedicate Portland’s first pair of “creative crosswalks.” These crosswalks include a pattern of raindrops with a giant umbrella, which will guide pedestrians across NW 3rd Avenue and Davis Street.

This artistic crosswalk is just one of the many improvements that will be occurring in Old Town Chinatown.

The expectation is that this crosswalk art, which was planned and designed by Jake Kaempf of Ampersand Content with community input, will improve pedestrian safety and contribute to the district’s vitality.

On June 9th at 10am crews will begin installation, and at 11am there will be a ribbon cutting and a walk on the raindrops.

Related Slideshow: 11 Oregon Highway Construction Projects You Should Know About

The changing of seasons from rainy season to dry season ushers in road construction. But you don’t have to get caught in a traffic tangle because no one told you. Here are 11 Oregon highway construction projects you should know about.

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11.

I-5 (Pacific Highway): Seismic retrofit of OR 99W bridge over I-5. MP 295. Intermittent closure of I-5 northbound truck lane and I-5 northbound on-ramp from OR 99W. Expected completion: 11/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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10.

I-5 (Pacific Highway): Install about 300 new green highway signs and new sign structures on I-5 in Portland N. Lombard Street to SW Corbett Avenue, and on the Fremont Bridge. MP 299 to 305. All lanes and ramps open days with occasional full night closures. Expected completion: 12/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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9.

I-5 (Pacific Highway): Pave I-5 in both directions from the Marquam Bridge to SW Capitol Highway. MP 294 to 301. All lanes open days with some night closures and occasional full closures. Expected ompletion: 12/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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8.

I-205 (East Portland Freeway): Construction continues on Sunrise Corridor Project, a new limited access highway from OR 224 at I-205 to SE 122nd Avenue at OR 212/224, and a new I-205 overcrossing linking 82ndAvenue and 82nd Drive. MP 13. No closures on I-205 or OR 212/224 but delays on nearby roads. Expected completion: 9/2016.

Click HERE for more information.

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7.

U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway): Widen the Brookwood Parkway overpass, add new exit ramps, new bike lanes and new sidewalks, and extend the right turn lane to eastbound U.S. 26. MP 61. Occasional night lane closures on Brookwood, Helvetia, U.S. 26 and ramps. Expected completion: 9/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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6.

OR 99E (SE McLoughlin Boulevard): Safety improvements at SE Vineyard Road include a new traffic signal, new pedestrian island, new ADA ramps and improved lighting. MP 8.7. Day lane and shoulder closures, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and nights, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., with delays of all lanes up to 20 minutes controlled by flaggers. Expected completion 9/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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5.

OR 99W (North Denver Avenue): A year-long series of improvements including road and ramp realignments, new traffic signals, new railings, new crash barriers, new grade separated bike and pedestrian connections to the 40 Mile Loop and a road new surface. MP -4.7 to -5.5. Southbound Denver Avenue closed periodically with some re-routing of bike and pedestrian routes. Expected completion: 12/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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4.

OR 99W (Pacific Highway): Rehabilitation of the bridge over the Tualatin River, between King City and Tualatin, with repairs, rust removal and re-painting. MP 12.2. Intermittent closures of the southbound lane. Completion: 10/2015.

Click HERE for more information.

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3.

OR 8 (Tualatin Valley Highway): Minter Bridge Road to 331st Avenue, grinding, paving and restriping; reconstructing parts of TV Highway, upgrading curb ramps, improving signs, Hillsboro city utility upgrades. MP 11.3 to 14.7. Day and night delays with lane closures and occasional weekend intersection closures. Expected completion: Fall 2015.

Click HERE for more information:

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2.

U.S. 26 (Mount Hood Highway): Improve safety on eight-mile stretch, cutting back slopes, adding a center barrier and paving. MP 49 to 57. Work will occur Monday through Saturday at all hours. Occasional blasting, lane closures, traffic stops lasting 20 minutes and road closures up to an hour, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., three days a week, Monday through Thursday. Expected completion: 11/2016.

Click HERE for more information:

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1.

I-205 (East Portland Freeway): Increasing the vertical clearance of the Strawberry Lane overcrossing by 18 inches with seismic retrofitting and re-paving. MP 12. Night closures of right and left lanes, both directions, of I-205 during work with closures of the Strawberry Lane overcrossing. Expected completion: 9/2015.

Click HERE for more information.