The Northeast Sandy Boulevard Improvement Project was allotted $925,000 in 2013 to make the intersection at 82nd Avenue safer for drivers and pedestrians. The project is awaiting some minor crosswalk painting that requires drier weather. This should be completed swiftly over a couple of days in late April. STAFF/2017
If you’re not fond of change, 82nd Avenue may not be the road for you over the next decade. There isn’t much going on now, but the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) proposes many crucial tweaks ahead for the bustling 7-mile segment between Northeast Killingsworth Street and Southeast Johnson Creek Boulevard.
“It’s not going to be a really busy summer, but there’s a lot going on this year,” says ODOT Region 1 Public Information Officer Don Hamilton. “We’re in the process of developing the plans, but there will be more community events this summer and fall. It wasn’t that long ago that 82nd was a rural road on the outskirts of Portland, and we’re just now updating the road so it has the proper safety requirements to meet all the demands we put on it.”
These demands include new pedestrian islands, additional curbs, signal upgrades, improved signs and rapid-flash beacons, to name a few. According to Hamilton, there will also be increased attention on a modern transportation favorite: bikes.
“It’s a big avenue, and we get a lot of bicycles, which has changed a lot in the last 20 years,” explains Hamilton. “Bicycles are now a critical part of the Portland transportation picture.”
Most all the above issues will be explored through the 82nd Avenue of Roses Implementation Plan. The plan is a thorough initiative dedicated to modernizing 82nd through many minor projects over the course of the next 10 years.
Below is an update on a few of the ongoing projects.
OR 213 (Northeast 82nd Avenue) at Northeast Sandy Boulevard Safety Improvement Project
ODOT chose this location for repairs due to its high volume of crashes over the course of the 2008–2012 five-year period. Most accidents were rear-ends or side swipes. $925,000 was allotted to this project, which began a preliminary design phase back in 2013.
The project is designed to increase traffic signal visibility, intersection awareness and pedestrian safety as well as reduce rear-end crashes. The project is nearly complete, awaiting some minor crosswalk painting that requires dryer weather. This should be completed swiftly over a couple of days in late April.
82nd Avenue: Burnside to Division Intersection Safety Improvement Project
Still under ongoing construction until spring of this year, the Intersection Safety Project is meant to enhance safety and traffic flow at the Southeast 82nd Avenue (OR 213) intersections with East Burnside Street, Southeast Stark, Washington, Yamhill, Mill and Division streets.
All six intersections will see replaced traffic signals, added sidewalk curb ramps that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, new lighting for improved visibility and additional solutions, such as median traffic separators, audible pedestrian countdown signals and traffic signal detection for bicycles.
Five of these intersections rank among the top 5 percent of high-crash sites in the region, inciting massive improvements in the form of pedestrian crossings meant to increase civilian safety. Three crossings will be placed between East Burnside Street and Southeast Division.
Overall, the Safety Improvement Project will cost a whopping $5.4 million.
Signal Upgrades Project
Construction has yet to begin for the Signal Upgrades Project, which aims to add upgrades to the Southeast 82nd Avenue (OR 213) intersections at Southeast Foster Road, Southeast Woodstock Boulevard, and Southeast Flavel Street.
The project is buoyed by concerns over outdated traffic signals that linger from the 1970s and 1980s. New signals will be added, including advanced sensors and software that controls signal timing, which should encourage smoother traffic flow. Sidewalk ramps at ADA standards and curb ramps are also expected at the three intersections.
For those hoping that new lanes will be added to Foster Road as part of the Signal Upgrades Project, they are out of luck. Only the intersection at Foster and 82nd Avenue will be affected. The design for the project is still to be determined, with construction slated to begin in early 2018.
Lindy Street to Mt. Scott Creek Bridge Paving and Safety Project
The Lindy Street to Mt. Scott Creek Bridge is a critical transportation route that serves the Clackamas Regional Center, a popular shopping area. There are three construction phases destined for the Lindy St. to Mt. Scott Creek Bridge Paving and Safety Project.
The roadway is looking to be repaved and lacks sidewalks and sidewalk ramps at three prominent intersections. The first phase—paving between Southeast King Road and the Mt. Scott Creek Bridge—was completed back in 2015. Phase two involves adding sidewalk ramps at major intersections between Southeast King Road and the Mt. Scott Creek Bridge in April. The ODOT plans to repave the roadway, as well as enhancing sidewalks/ramps, between Southeast Lindy Street and Southeast King Road this fall for phase three.
