Construction Update 2/11/22 | Building a Better Boones Ferry Road

In late December, the traffic control devices and cones were pulled from Boones Ferry Road and the new roadway was opened up for the holiday period. Since early January, crews have been focused on finishing remaining punch-list, cleanup items, and miscellaneous repair work. This is expected to be complete in early March. Intermittent lane closures remain in place during work hours in targeted areas where crews are completing these final activities. Thank you for your continued patience while we finish the remaining touches on the project.

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Safety Reminders

Mid-block Pedestrian Crossings – push the button TWICE!

Are you enjoying the new pedestrian-friendly improvements along Boones Ferry Road? Have you used the new mid-block crossings? There are two locations: one at the Lake Grove Shopping Center and one near Wells Fargo!

These crossings are different to others – they have two separate stages. This improves driver compliancy and breaks the wide roadway into smaller segments for pedestrians to safely cross the road.

A key safety reminder for pedestrians: Don’t forget to push the button TWICE to activate the flashing beacons – once to get across to the center median, and a second time to get to the other side.

Watch this video to learn more about these unique crossings and some safety tips shared by our traffic engineers!

U-Turn Movements – Cars Only

All five signals within the project corridor now permit U-turns – Lanewood, Oakridge, McDonald’s, Bryant, Madrona.

The new U-turns are designed for cars or full-sized passenger vehicles. Drivers are informed with the appropriate signs on the traffic signal that say “cars only.” Full-sized passenger vehicles, including larger SUVs such as a Chevy Suburban, will be able to make the U-turns if they navigate the turn correctly. Drivers of larger vehicles (such as trucks with trailers or delivery trucks) will need to plan their trips in a way that will allow them to access their destinations by making right turns. This is common practice for truck drivers who make deliveries in urban areas on a regular basis.

The U-turn at Lanewood Street is currently limited to northbound traffic only. This intersection was located outside of the phase 1 widening improvements, and therefore does not include a median or center island to help facilitate extra space for the U-turn movement. At this signal, a portion of the curb on the southwest corner was relocated and the paved area was widened to increase the available area for drivers to complete the U-turn. Additional lane striping will also be added in the spring to help provide cars an extra foot for the turning radius.

Speed Zone

Throughout construction, a temporary speed limit of 25 MPH has been in place in the project corridor. Once all work is complete and traffic control is no longer needed, the speed limit will be restored to 30 MPH.

Approximately six months after final completion of the project, a speed zone study will be conducted in coordination with the Oregon Department of Transportation. This will involve measuring the typical travel speeds of vehicles to determine if implementing a 25 MPH speed limit permanently is feasible.