| Oregon 217 Construction Projects |
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| Project Summary: |
There are two projects in OR 217:
- The preservation project paved OR 217 between 72nd Avenue and Sunset Highway (U.S. 26). This project began late June 2006 and was completed Sept. 2007.
- The modernization project will add a third northbound lane on OR 217 from TV Highway to Sunset Highway. This project will take 2 construction seasons to complete. This project goes to bid October 2008.
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| Latest information: |
View a map of the two project areas.
Construction on the OR 217 Modernization has been delayed. The project will go to bid October 2008.
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| OR 217 Modernization Project |
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The Oregon Department of Transportation is in the final design phase of a $30 million highway modernization project on OR 217 from TV Highway to U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway). Construction start date is scheduled for early 2009. The project will include the following elements:
* Adding a third northbound lane on OR 217 from the TV Highway on-ramp to Sunset Highway
* Building retaining walls along OR 217
* Improving drainage on the highway
* Paving and striping the project area and all the OR 217/U.S. 26 interchange ramps
* Lengthening the Wilshire Street overpass to accommodate the wider highway
* Improving visibility and safety on the Wilshire Street off-ramp in the OR 217/U.S. 26 interchange
Once complete, motorists will have three northbound through-lanes between TV Highway and the Sunset Highway. This will help eliminate the weaving that occurs between TV Highway and Walker Road as motorists are simultaneously entering and exiting the highway. In addition, sight distance and safety will be improved when traveling between OR 217 northbound and U.S. 26 eastbound.
Schedule
The project is a multi-year project. Construction start will be early 2009.
Traffic Impacts
The high traffic volumes on OR 217 require that all lanes be open without restrictions during daytime hours. Closing the lanes during the day would create backups and serious safety concerns. As a result, much of the work will take place during nighttime hours when traffic volumes are lower. Motorists will experience single and double lane closures on the highway during the overnight work hours. As much as possible, daytime work will take place outside the travel lanes behind barriers.
Wilshire Street overpass and off-ramp
Extensive bridge work is required to lengthen the Wilshire Street overpass and reconstruct the Wilshire Street off-ramp. This work will require a temporary traffic pattern change on the Wilshire Street overpass. For a 90-day period during the summer, the Wilshire Street overpass will be reduced to one travel lane – heading west – 24 hours a day. Motorists heading east across the Wilshire Street overpass during the closure period will be detoured onto OR 217 southbound, exit on Walker Road, head northbound on OR 217 and then exit onto Wilshire Street. Pedestrians and bicyclists will not be impacted during the closure and will be able to travel in both directions on Wilshire Street.
After the Wilshire Street overpass lanes are reopened, there will be a temporary closure of the Wilshire Street off-ramp for up to 60 days to complete the ramp reconstruction work.
The on-ramp to U.S. 26 eastbound from Wilshire Street will remain permanently closed.
History of Project
In 1991, a multi-modal partnership was formed among ODOT, TriMet, the City of Portland and Washington and Multnomah counties to address how transportation projects would be developed in response to the population growth in Washington County. As a result, the Westside Corridor Project was created as a long-range plan defining and prioritizing future transportation projects. Major projects already completed as part of the Westside Corridor Project are the Westside MAX, the Camelot to Sylvan project, and the addition of a third southbound lane on the north end of Oregon 217.
The upcoming Oregon 217 modernization project was defined in the Westside Corridor Project and designed to help relieve congestion on one section of Oregon 217. The final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) written for the Westside Corridor Project stipulated that Oregon 217 not be expanded beyond three lanes in each direction.
View a map of Highway 217 showing where the additional lane will be located.
View the Highway 217 noise study that was conducted in 2006. (note: this file is 1 MG)
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| OR 217 Preservation Project |
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Oregon 217 Preservation Project
Oregon Mainline Paving, a contractor for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) completed work September 2007 to grind and pave OR 217 from 72nd Avenue in Tigard to the U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway) interchange. The pavement on OR 217 was severely rutted from the 108,000 vehicles a day that use the highway. This 6.39 mile stretch of highway was last repaved in 1994. The contractor also paved a one-mile section of the Sunset Highway westbound just east of OR 217. This $6.5 million preservation project included the following upgrades:
- grinding and paving the roadway and most of the ramps in the project area
- modifying and extending guardrail
- constructing ADA ramps at the terminus of select ramps on OR 217
- adding durable reflective striping
- replacing ramp meters and signal loop detectors
- installing new and/or improved signs
View a map of the OR 217 Preservation Project.
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| ODOT Contact Information |
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Lili Gordon, ODOT Community Affairs Coordinator, 503-731-8247
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