Photo: Ford, Brad
Photo: ODOT
A big package of improvements along OR 217 gets under way this month, bringing smoother, safer and more reliable travels on the highway and new opportunities for other modes of transportation.
When complete, the OR 217 Auxiliary Lanes Project will improve safety, address long-standing highway bottlenecks and complete the parallel north/south bicycle and pedestrian network. Starting in December, the public will see contractor crews and equipment along the highway with major work and traffic impacts getting underway in January 2022
The project will take place along the southbound lanes between Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and OR 99W and along the northbound lanes between OR 99W and Scholls Ferry Road. There are also improvements on adjacent local roads. No road closures are scheduled around Washington Square during the holiday season.
When complete, travelers can expect less aggravation, smoother travels and better navigating along this critical seven-mile corridor.
Go to the project web site to sign up for regular email updates on the project, including expected closures and project briefings. Upcoming webinars on Dec. 15 and Jan. 11 offer the community an opportunity to connect directly with the project team.
The project comes after years of community conversations about the OR 217 corridor and thousands of public comments gathered through community meetings, online open houses, emails and phone calls. As design got under way, the community told planners about the role OR 217 plays in their lives and what kind of improvements would help.
Whenever possible, work will take place at night to lessen the impact on the public. But daytime work on this project is unavoidable with occasional lane closures, ramp closures and detours over the course of the work.
OR 217, once a local road with traffic signals, runs between Beaverton and Tigard with 10 interchanges in just over seven miles, some of the shortest merging spacing in the region. The short interchange spacing on a road with an average of 120,000 vehicles a day, leads to high crash rates and travel delays
The interchanges at Allen Boulevard and Denney Road cause some of the worst bottlenecks. This project will help minimize bottlenecks and help everyone on OR 217 get where they need to go.
Project benefits include:
- New pedestrian and bicycle improvements enhancing local neighborhoods and expanding opportunities for people walking, bicycling and rolling.
- Auxiliary lanes we expect will reduce crashes by 20% to 30%.
- A frontage road for southbound drivers connecting Allen Boulevard and Denney Road, making trips safer for drivers by decreasing merges onto the highway.
The project aligns with our Strategic Action Plan calling for a modern and safe transportation system. The effort employs many tools necessary on a modern highway system, including modern roadway safety features and full corridor facilities for people walking and riding bicycles.
The project cost of $158 million comes primarily from HB 217, the Keep Oregon Moving transportation package approved by the Legislature in 2017. The City of Beaverton and Washington County are also funding partners.
Source: ODOT