slides: 11 Oregon Highway Construction Projects You Should Know About

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Friday, April 24, 2015

Rebecca Randall, GoLocalPDX Contributor

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. Improvements are slated for all over the Portland area, including some big ones along U.S. Highway 26, I-5 and I-205 as well as some smaller but equally snarly ones in neighborhoods throughout the metro region. 

See Slides Below: 11 Oregon Highway Construction Projects You Should Know About

Seismic retrofit of two I-5 overpasses southwest of Portland could put drivers in a construction zone. I-5 will be shifted toward the median and the shoulders will be closed for work on the Barbur Boulevard overpass. 

“Any time there are construction workers around, we put up the cones and notices. We always encourage motorists to be extra careful in construction zones,” said Don Hamilton, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). “Traffic fines double when you’re in a construction zones.”

Another seismic upgrade will improve the underpass at Boones Ferry Road, though traffic changes will not be along I-5 but along Boones Ferry. 

This is the second phase of seismic upgrades of I-5 overpasses. “We’re trying to slowly include seismic retrofits or strengthening,” said Hamilton. “We have to think in terms of what happens if that earthquake hits. What can we do to keep the transportation lines open?” 

Closures will happen at night for the seismic projects as well as other I-5 projects, which include repaving from the Marquam Bridge to Southwest Capitol Highway and new signage from North Lombard Street to Southwest Corbett Avenue.

While drivers shouldn’t expect I-205 day closures, traffic could slow during projects while construction crews work during the day. Improvements along Oregon Highway 224, including a new overpass over I-205, could cause delays near the freeway. One exit up the road, workers will raise the Strawberry Lane overpass higher than the old one to obtain better vertical clearance for trucks. Again, no actual day-time closures on I-205, but the overpass work will reroute Tri-met bus line 79 and close Strawberry Lane for up to three months. 

Day-trippers planning to enjoy the wonders of Mt. Hood should consider themselves now warned that flaggers will be stopping traffic on Highway 26 east of Sandy for 20-minute intervals. Road closures could be up to an hour, according to ODOT, and drivers can expect to hear blasting. 

After a long planning process, the state is improving an eight-mile stretch of Highway 26, including cutting back slopes and adding a center barrier. “When you get way high up near Government Camp, the rock faces are coming in really close to the road,” said Hamilton. “That can be dangerous in case of a quake or heavy rain.” 

This is the second year of a three-year safety improvement project on Mt. Hood.

Travelers headed to the beach could also hit some delays on Highway 26, though some commuters could be dealing with it on a regular basis on the streets around the Helvetia Road-Brookwood Parkway exit, which will have some closures or rerouting. Occasionally, Highway 26 will be closed at night. Work includes widening exit ramps and the overpass.

Residents in the Kenton neighborhood of North Portland will have some major improvements to look forward to in December but only after months of closures and detours. Over the next eight months, paving and bridgework will improve safety for cars, bikes and pedestrians. 

“That bridge is a mess. It’s really in bad shape,” said Hamilton. “It’s not just bumpy and ruts but the side of the bridge is starting to deteriorate.”

Starting last week, North Denver Avenue is closed to southbound traffic from Argyle Avenue to Schmeer Road for an expected 90 days, which will affect bike commuters and pedestrians as well as motorists. 

But Hamilton said that with projects like this, improvements to bike and pedestrian paths are also explored. Upon project completion, pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to connect more easily to Delta Park and the 40 Mile Loop.

For the third year in a row, motorists can expect delays throughout the downtown Hillsboro area as the Oregon Highway 8 (Tualatin Valley Highway) could be closed day or night, seven days a week. TriMet services can also be affected, and bus riders can check the website for detours. Construction should be finished in the fall. 

Two other improvements at key intersections will likely cause delays at Oregon 99E (McLoughlin Boulevard) and Southeast Vineyard and at Oregon 99W and Southwest Gaarde/McDonald. Flaggers could stop drivers for up to 20 minutes on 99E, while 99W closures are only planned at night. 

Improvements at the Gaarde/McDonald intersection are expected to increase capacity on 99W by 30 percent during afternoon rush hour and 20 percent during morning rush hour.

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

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