Open house will showcase proposed Columbia-Killingsworth Interchange

By: Lee Perlman

The Mid-county MEMO

The Portland Office of Transportation is moving forward toward specific proposals for the Northeast Columbia Boulevard- Killingsworth Street interchange.

The project, begun earlier this year, would redesign the interchange, now at Northeast 92nd Avenue, to eliminate the danrerous weaving of high-speed traffic and traffic backup that occurs now.

 Project manager Rob Barnard says the city has developed nine alternative redesign proposals. All would replace the current narrow, winding underpass at Northeast 92nd Avenue connecting the two highways with a wider road located between Northeast 84th and 87th avenues. All proposals would require the relocation of several industrial businesses located between the two highways in the path of the connecting road.

The proposals will be available for public viewing and comment at an open house from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 8 at Helen’s View High School, 8678 N.E. Sumner St.

The intent, Barnard says, is to “allow the interchange to work and be safe, but still allow for local access.”

Local access was the key issue for the Sumner Neighborhood Association in a discussion of the project last month, according to board member Joan Gray. Some residents are concerned about plans to restrict or limit access from some side streets.  The discussion sparked a great deal of interest and much higher than normal meeting attendance, Gray says.

At the Parkrose Neighborhood Association there was more concern with traffic congestion and safety. President Ron Nelson says he would have liked to see the interchange moved still further west so that traffic doesn’t back up to Northeast Sandy Boulevard at 99th Avenue, as is now the case. Nelson is also concerned about putting a bike lane on the new access ramp, which will still be relatively narrow and winding with limited visibility. Motorists may not be able to see the bikes until they are upon them, and “some bicyclists don’t follow the rules of the road too well,” Nelson says.