Starting Monday night, 9/13 continuing through Tuesday, 9/14, the intersection of Lake Grove Avenue and Reese Road will be reconstructed and paved. During this time:
Lake Grove Avenue will be closed to all through traffic between Reese Road and Upper Drive. Residents and businesses: please access driveways from Upper Drive.
One lane will be open on Reese Road, with flaggers directing traffic.
Heads up, Lake Oswego! New pavement is coming! While we are in the final stretch of construction, we can all still expect a few more major traffic impacts before the street transformation is complete. Read on to learn what to expect with upcoming paving work.
Pavement Patches on Bryant Road: 9/8 – 9/10
Starting Wednesday, 9/8 through Friday, 9/10, crews will be permanently patching several utility trenches on Bryant Road between Boones Ferry Road and Upper Drive. This work is in preparation for final paving, which is expected to occur at night in mid-September.
Work hours for this activity are 4 a.m. through 3 p.m.The traveling public should expect significant delays on Bryant Road, particularly during the morning commutes.
On Wednesday, 9/8 the signal at Bryant Road and Upper Drive will be turned off and flaggers will direct traffic through the intersection. Delays are expected. Please find alternate routes or plan ahead for extra travel time during this work.
Reese Road/Lake Grove Avenue Intersection Paving: 9/13 – 9/14
Starting Monday night 9/13 and continuing through Tuesday 9/14, the intersection of Lake Grove Avenue and Reese Road will be reconstructed and paved. During this time:
Lake Grove Avenue will be closed to all through traffic between Reese Road and Upper Drive. Residents and businesses: please access driveways from Upper Drive.
One lane will be open on Reese Road, with flaggers directing traffic.
Expect delays and plan extra travel time.
Final Permanent Paving: mid-late September
One of the final major components of the project is the remaining two-inch top lift layer of asphalt. This “final lift” of paving is currently scheduled to occur the week of 9/13 and 9/20. To minimize traffic impacts, the bulk of this work will take place at night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Key information:
Paving work will be taking place on Boones Ferry Road between W. Sunset Drive and Red Cedar Way, and on portions of side streets including: Madrona Street, Bryant Road, Firwood Road, Quarry Road, Reese Road, Oakridge Road, Lanewood Street, and Red Cedar Way.
Up to two traffic signals will be turned off at a time as crews progress and rotate through each intersection.
Please watch for signage and obey flaggers directions. Expect delays and plan extra travel time.
Access to driveways will be temporarily closed when the paving equipment approaches each driveway.
Residents and businesses should expect an increase in noise and vibration during the paving operation, as there will be a lot of trucks, large equipment, and vibratory rollers compacting the new asphalt.
There will be periods where traffic will be traveling on rough ground, gravel or rock while they grind and prepare the roadway – please drive cautiously.
Weather permitting, lane striping will occur two weeks after the final paving.
Paving schedules are weather dependent and subject to change. Another update will be posted prior to the final top lift paving. Thank you for your patience as we embark on these final impactful activities to transform Boones Ferry Road!
While it might be tucked back at the end of the parking lot that is shared with Healthy Pet, Dogtopia and Labelle Nails, when you discover the locally owned Piper Louie store, you’ll be sure to come back! You’ll be captured by the incredible selection of curated gifts, hand bags, jewelry, pillows, plants, and homewares – many representing goods made my local artisans like Happy Candles and three local gift card makers.
Julie Nordby is an interior designer and owner of Piper Louie. She is excited that Piper Louie represents so many local artisans, as they help make her business a unified one. Piper Louie also has an online store that offers a small fraction of what they have in the store.
Julie and her husband John also operate Nordby Design, which provides architectural design services from as small as styling and consultations, to brand new builds for residential and commercial properties.
Piper Louie has been located in Lake Grove for about five years, and they’ve enjoyed seeing the transformation taking place on Boones Ferry Road. Julie is particularly looking forward to how beautiful it will be with all the plantings in the medians.
Julie loves operating a business in Lake Oswego because she loves the community. Her and John also live in Lake Oswego, so they enjoy all the community has to offer both residents and businesses.
One thing to remember, Piper Louie does have an abundance of unique gifts and products, many that are one of a kind. So, if you don’t snag it when you see it, you just might miss out!
Thank you to everyone for your patience during the recent major work at the Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry Road intersection! Reconstructing and paving this intersection was a major activity requiring a lot of coordination and resulting in significant traffic impacts. Crews were able to successfully complete the work on time, opening back the roads and signal by early Saturday evening 7/17!
Work is progressing well on excavating, forming and pouring the final portion of the new medians between the McDonald’s intersection and just north of the Post Office. Final portions of sidewalks are also being poured on some side streets and in the northern area of the project.
Electrical crews activated the new Lanewood signal last month, including U-turn movements and pedestrian crosswalks!
Landscapers continue to install irrigation sleeves and heads throughout the project corridor, in the new medians and planters. They are also working on repairing some irrigation lines that have been impacted on adjacent private properties.
Upcoming Work
Over the next few weeks, remediation and repair work will be taking place for specific areas where concrete curbs, ramps, gutters, or sidewalks may need to be replaced or fixed. Please watch for shifting lanes and traffic safety cones throughout the whole project corridor. Repair work is taking place between Madrona Street and Lanewood Street.
In late August/early September, several utility trenches will be permanently patched on Bryant Road between Boones Ferry and Upper Drive. This portion of Bryant will also receive a pavement overlay during the final paving expected in September.
The new mid-block crossings at Zupan’s and Wells Fargo are expected to be activated in September, along with the McDonald’s and Oakridge Road signals.
Landscaping installation will likely resume in September and continue through fall.
One of the final major components of the project is the remaining two-inch top lift of asphalt. This “final lift” of paving is currently scheduled for mid-September. This work will take place at night to minimize traffic impacts. Weather permitting, lane striping will occur two weeks after the final paving. More information will be shared prior to the final paving.
Major construction work is on track to be complete early fall, with final punch list (landscaping etc.) activities complete soon after.
Traffic Reminders
U-turns
In Oregon, U-turns are allowed at signalized intersections when there is a “U-turn permitted” sign. U-turns are now active at Madrona, Lanewood and Bryant signals.
Once the new signals at Oakridge and McDonald’s are activated, U-turns will also be permitted at those intersections. If you are trying to get to a business on the opposite side of the street, just go to the next signalized intersection and make a U-turn.
Delivery Drivers & Large Trucks
Full sized passenger vehicles are able to make the U-turns, but larger trucks and delivery trucks aren’t able. There have been recent reports of delivery trucks driving through some private properties that have dual driveway access on Boones Ferry Road and side streets, to access other businesses.
For large trucks and delivery drivers that are unable to make U-turns, please plan your trips in a way that will allow you to access your destination by making right turns. This is common practice for truck drivers who make deliveries in urban areas on a regular basis.
Lanewood Signal
As part of the improvements for the project, a new signal was installed at Lanewood Street and the Lake Grove Elementary School driveway was realigned to meet up with the new signalized intersection.
The school driveway remains a one-way exit onto Boones Ferry Road – this condition has not changed. The northbound U-turn pocket at the new Lanewood signal is only permitted for U-turns, not left turns into the school driveway. Please follow the signage and drive safely.
Post Office Access – Use the Lanewood U-Turn!
Now that work is taking place on the new landscaped medians, there is no longer left-turn access into the Post Office driveway. If you are traveling northbound on Boones Ferry Road, instead of turning left into the post office parking lot: ⦁ Continue north on Boones Ferry Road, ⦁ Make a U-turn at the new Lanewood Street traffic signal, ⦁ From southbound Boones Ferry Road, turn right into the parking lot.
The Post Office will keep its current one-way entrance from Boones Ferry Road and one-way exit to Oakridge Road. The new access replaces a sometimes challenging and potentially hazardous left turn across multiple traffic lanes.
Metal Edging
We have received several inquiries and questions about the use of metal edging along some of the planters located in the project corridor.
Metal edging along stormwater planters near Zupan’s
The metal edging provides a 4” high safety buffer between the pedestrian through zone and the stormwater planters – a necessary American with Disabilities Act (ADA) tactile warning for visually-impaired, ensuring that individuals using canes can detect the edge and not walk into the stormwater planters, which are recessed below grade.
Due to insufficient right-of-way width, the edging was installed as an acceptable alternative to the more traditional six-inch wide curbing typically found along stormwater planters. The thicker curbing is often used when there is adequate right-of-way width available. The metal edging allows the pedestrian through zone (accessible surface) of the new sidewalk to be 5.5 ft wide along the corridor, otherwise it would have only been five feet.
The edging was modified from the original design to make it more solid and cohesive. It also provides holes or “scuppers” for water to drain into the stormwater facilities for treatment.
There are several other locations in the metropolitan area that also use this metal edging on planters, including extensive areas in Portland’s South Waterfront district, a very heavy pedestrian area [pictured here].
Metal edging along Portland’s South Waterfront DistrictMetal edging along planters in Portland’s South Waterfront District
Many of the stormwater planters in the project corridor do not yet have plants installed, so some of the edging appears bare and stark. Our landscaper will resume planting this fall, when the weather improves. Once the plants grow in and develop more, the edging will also be less noticeable.
Interested in winning a $100 gift card? Enter our #ShopLakeGrove raffle today! It’s easy to enter:
Take a pic at a participating business (visit link in bio for the details)
Post it on social (make sure your post is public!) or email info@boonesferryproject.org
Mention the business & use #ShopLakeGrove!
Remember, this raffle runs throughout major construction of the Boones Ferry project and each month it starts fresh. Over 30 businesses are participating!
More Information?
For more information, email info@boonesferryproject.org, call 503-697-6573, visit www.boonesferryproject.org or follow the city on social media with #BoonesFerryProject.
Late last week, the contractor discovered an issue with one of the signal poles that was installed at Lanewood Street, which needs to be resolved before the signal can be activated. Crews are planning to fix the pole on Thursday night, 7/8.
The Lanewood signal needs to be active before the Oakridge/Reese Road intersection reconstruction and paving work can take place. Given scheduling conflicts, the signal activation and the intersection work has now been rescheduled to take place the week of 7/12. This work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change.
Watch this 2 ½ minute video to learn more about the intersection work, U-turns, and Post Office access change. (Please note, all information regarding the work plan and traffic impacts outlined in the video are accurate, besides the recent change of dates for the Oakridge/Reese intersection work outlined below).
Oakridge/Reese Intersection Work
The Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry intersection work has been rescheduled to take place 24/7 starting midnight Wednesday 7/14, through Saturday 7/17, at 8 p.m.
What to expect during this time: ⦁ Reese Road will be closed to all through traffic between Boones Ferry Road and Sunset Drive ⦁ Lake Grove Avenue will be closed to all through traffic between Reese Road and Upper Drive ⦁ Oakridge Road at Boones Ferry Road will be right in/right out only ⦁ Northbound and southbound traffic on Boones Ferry Road will remain open ⦁ At times, the Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry signal will be turned off and flaggers will direct traffic – expect delays ⦁ Access will remain open to all businesses in the corridor – use Boones Ferry Road to access business driveways ⦁ There will be periods where traffic will be traveling on gravel or rock while they rebuild and grade the roadway – please drive safely
Please plan ahead for extra travel time or find an alternate route during this work. Neighbors and businesses near the work area can expect an increase in noise, truck traffic and vibration due to the paving operation.
No Left Turns into Oakridge Road
To accommodate the work zone and equipment for building the remaining medians, there will be a period of about a month where there will be no left turns from Boones Ferry Road into Oakridge Road at the signal. Please use an alternate route during this time.
Northbound Post Office Access Change
Once the Oakridge/Reese Road intersection paving is complete, crews will start working on the final medians between Reese Road and Lanewood Street. This will change the northbound access to the Lake Grove Post Office by permanently removing the current left turn access.
Starting in mid-July, if you are traveling northbound on Boones Ferry Road, instead of turning left into the post office parking lot: ⦁ Continue north on Boones Ferry Road, ⦁ Make a U-turn at the new Lanewood Street traffic signal, ⦁ From southbound Boones Ferry Road, turn right into the parking lot.
The Post Office will keep its current one-way entrance from Boones Ferry Road and one-way exit to Oakridge Road. The new access replaces a sometimes challenging and potentially hazardous left turn across multiple traffic lanes.
U-turn Reminder
In Oregon, U-turns are allowed at signalized intersections when there is a “U-turn permitted” sign. U-turns are already activated at Madrona and Bryant signals.
Once the new signals at Lanewood, Oakridge and McDonald’s are activated, U-turns will also be permitted at those intersections. If you are trying to get to a business on the opposite side of the street, just go to the next signalized intersection and make a U-turn.
Delivery Drivers & Large Trucks
Full sized passenger vehicles are able to make the U-turns, but larger trucks and delivery trucks aren’t able. There have been recent reports of delivery trucks driving through some private properties that have dual driveway access on Boones Ferry Road and side streets, to access other businesses.
For large trucks and delivery drivers that are unable to make U-turns, please plan your trips in a way that will allow you to access your destination by making right turns. This is common practice for truck drivers who make deliveries in urban areas on a regular basis.
Paving on Bryant Road
We have received several questions about when Bryant Road will be repaved where the stormwater, sewer line, and gas lines were installed in portions of the roadway between Boones Ferry and Upper Drive.
Final paving on Bryant is expected to take place this summer, in late July or early August. In the meantime, crews will improve and repair the current temporary patches before final paving takes place.
ShopLakeGrove Raffle!
Interested in winning a $100 gift card, just like Diane did? Enter our #ShopLakeGrove raffle today!
It’s easy to enter: 📸 Take a pic at a participating business (visit link in bio for the details) 📲 Post it on social (make sure your post is public!) or email info@boonesferryproject.org 🔈 Mention the business & use #ShopLakeGrove!
Remember, this raffle runs throughout construction of the Boones Ferry project and each month it starts fresh. Over 30 businesses are participating!
More Information?
For more information, email info@boonesferryproject.org, call 503-697-6573, visit www.boonesferryproject.org or follow the city on social media with #BoonesFerryProject.
Since our last construction update was sent on 6/8, some important dates have changed regarding upcoming traffic impacts. Read on for the latest news.
Traffic Changes Coming Up
Lanewood Intersection Paving
Starting late Wednesday night 6/23 at approximately midnight, through Thursday 6/24 at 6 p.m., crews will be rebuilding and paving the Lanewood Street/Boones Ferry Road intersection.
During work hours, Lanewood Street will be closed between Boones Ferry Road and Boones Way, and a detour will be in place for all through traffic. Local access to business and resident driveways will remain open. Residents and businesses: use Boones Way for access.
Lanewood Signal Activation & U-turns!
Crews are making the final preparations and arrangements for activating the new signalized intersection at Lanewood Street and Boones Ferry Road. This will also include activating the new permitted u-turns at this signal and the new crosswalks! This is now expected to occur in early-mid July.
Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry Road Intersection
Now scheduled for mid-July, the intersection of Oakridge x Reese x Boones Ferry Road will be completely reconstructed and paved. Reese Road between Boones Ferry Road and Lake Grove Avenue will also be paved.
This work is now planned to take place 24/7 starting midnight Wednesday 7/7, through Saturday 7/10, at 8 p.m.
What to expect during this time:
Reese Road will be closed to all through traffic between Boones Ferry Road and Sunset Drive
Lake Grove Avenue will be closed to all through traffic between Reese Road and Upper Drive
Oakridge Road at Boones Ferry Road will be right in/right out only
Northbound and southbound traffic on Boones Ferry Road will remain open
At times, the Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry signal will be turned off and flaggers will direct traffic – expect delays
Access will remain open to all businesses in the corridor – use Boones Ferry Road to access business driveways
There will be periods where traffic will be traveling on gravel or rock while they rebuild and grade the roadway – please drive safely
Please plan ahead for extra travel time or find an alternate route during this work. Neighbors and businesses near the work area can expect an increase in noise, truck traffic and vibration due to the paving operation.
This work is weather dependent and subject to change. Stay tuned for another update prior to this work.
Northbound Post Office Access Change
Once the Oakridge/Reese Road intersection paving is complete, crews will start working on the final medians between Reese Road and Lanewood Street. This will change the northbound access to the Lake Grove Post Office by permanently removing the current left turn access.
Starting in mid-July, if you are traveling northbound on Boones Ferry Road, instead of turning left into the post office parking lot:
Continue north on Boones Ferry Road,
Make a U-turn at the new Lanewood Street traffic signal,
From southbound Boones Ferry Road, turn right into the parking lot.
The Post Office will keep its current one-way entrance from Boones Ferry Road and one-way exit to Oakridge Road. The new access replaces a sometimes challenging and potentially hazardous left turn across multiple traffic lanes.
New McDonald’s Signal Activation
After paving is complete and traffic loops are installed, the new signal will be activated. This is expected to occur sometime in July.
Oakridge/Reese Signal U-turn Activation
As a reminder, all five signals in our project limits will eventually allow controlled u-turn movements. U-turns are expected to be activated at the Oakridge/Reese intersection in early August.
Final Activities
One “final” lift of asphalt will be placed over the entire project area, between Madrona Street and Lanewood Street. This will take place later this summer, followed by final striping and other minor punchlist items.
Landscaping Update
Given we have had an unseasonably dry and hot spring, we are now waiting to install the remainder of the plants and trees in the project corridor until later this fall, in order to give them the best chance of survival.
We’ve recently received several calls and inquiries about the landscaping, planters and trees being installed on Boones Ferry Road as part of the project. We sent out an update last week, view it here.
Interested in winning a $100 gift card? Enter our #ShopLakeGrove raffle today! It’s easy to enter: 📸 Take a pic at a participating business (visit link in bio for the details) 📲 Post it on social (make sure your post is public!) or email info@boonesferryproject.org 🔈 Mention the business & use #ShopLakeGrove!
Remember, this raffle runs throughout construction of the Boones Ferry project and each month it starts fresh. Over 30 businesses are participating!
More Information?
For more information, email info@boonesferryproject.org, call 503-697-6573, visit www.boonesferryproject.org or follow the city on social media with #BoonesFerryProject.
We’ve recently received several calls and inquiries about the landscaping, planters and trees being installed on Boones Ferry Road as part of the project. Outlined below is some key information.
Tree Staking, Dead Plants or Dying Trees
Our project team and contractor are fully aware of some of the trees having issues with the staking and these are being addressed. We are committed to making sure the project, when completed, meets the intended design.
With a project of this size and scope, there will always be some plants and trees that die or are not in good shape. Ultimately, some of the trees and plants either need to be replanted, re-staked or replaced (some have died since being planted). Our landscaper re-staked and straightened some of the trees this week.
Given we are having an unseasonably dry and hot spring, we are now waiting to install the remainder of the plants and trees in the project corridor until later this fall in order to give them the best chance of survival.
Warranty Periods and Responsibility
The contractor is responsible for plant procurement, installation, establishment, maintenance and replacement.
Our landscape architect has conducted site visits and inventoried the plants. They will conduct a “substantial completion” punchlist walkthrough with the contractor once all the plants and landscaping is installed, where they will “accept” or “approve” the landscaping. During the inspection, if plants or trees that have been installed are not accepted, they will be marked and the contractor will be required to replace them. This then kicks off a one year establishment and warranty period.
Any plants or trees that die within the one year warranty period are required to be replaced by the contractor. After that time, it is then the City’s responsibility for ongoing maintenance in the public right-of-way; and for private areas, it is the property owner’s requirement to maintain the plants.
Types of Trees and Landscaping
In general, the selected plant and tree species in the project corridor are more drought tolerant. Urban roadway conditions are harsh environments for plants and therefore plant selections favored those that can tolerate windy, dry conditions and reflect heat. Some native species that are adaptable to these conditions were included in the plan. Many of these plants (the oak trees in particular) will be very well adapted to the urban conditions that are hotter and drier than our “native” environment.
We have a wide variety of colorful plants that will display their show during different seasons. Daisy Bush, Ceanothus, Cistus, Heather, Cornus, Mahonia, Rhus, Zauschenaria, Achillea, Asclepias, Asters, Baptisia, Camas, Echinacea, Helenium, Iris, Lupine, Monkey Flower, Sisyrinchium are just some examples. Most of these varieties are well-adapted to the conditions, with several being native and low resource intensive. Grasses are used for their toughness and lasting qualities of texture and movement. Annuals and hanging baskets can be included in the future when the project is complete.
A lot of consideration was also given to the placement of the plants and trees to ensure they wouldn’t block sight distance or pedestrian crossings.
Development of the Landscaping Plan
The project’s landscaping plan was developed through a robust public involvement process, led by landscape architects. Our Project Advisory Committee (PAC) was heavily involved in the plant and tree selection process. While they were advocates for native plants, they desired something different for the Lake Grove area and were interested in having a variety of uncommon, adaptable non-native plants. They also desired a robust planting scheme and recognized our limitations of space and harsh conditions. These plans were reviewed, discussed and accepted by the PAC and through a public involvement process that allowed public comment. Our public works arborist and beautification specialist was also involved in the review of the plant list.
Stormwater Planters & Swales
Green infrastructure – stormwater rain gardens, planters and swales – play an important role in collecting stormwater and filtering pollutants out of the dirty runoff, to protect our rivers, lakes and streams.
Directing runoff to a more natural, vegetated system reduces the amount of runoff in our storm system, allows water to slowly soak into the ground, and filters sediments and pollutants to improve water quality.
More than 40 stormwater planters and swales are being installed in the project corridor, to help manage and treat stormwater runoff. This a requirement to meet our Stormwater Management Manual, permitted by the Department of Environmental Quality. Many of these are located in the landscaped medians, and on the east side of the roadway. Those that appear deeper or lower than other landscaped planters are the stormwater planters.
These planters have specific types of planting material, plants and trees that help treat the runoff. Plantings of sedges run through the bottom of the planters and will be the year-round performers in these stormwater facilities. It is a harsh condition that many plants are not suited for.
Physocarpus, Salix, Iris, and Mahonia are other prominent shrubs and perennials that will add color and texture and appear different throughout the year. Cascara, Alder and Magnolia are a few of the trees which are suited to the size and conditions of the facilities.
Metal Edging
The stormwater planters have a metal edge around them which provides a 4” high safety buffer between the pedestrian through zone and the stormwater planters.
There are several other locations in the metropolitan area that also use this edging on planters. Once the plants grow in and develop more, they will also be less noticeable.
When you come across Art Heads Custom Framing in Lake Oswego, you will likely meet store manager, Karen Fox. A humble framer of 40 years, Karen won first place in an international framing competition for best frame/print and best shadow box.
Art Heads in Lake Oswego has been operating for almost 20 years. It’s a small little store and neighborhood shop.
Everyone who works at Art Heads is an accomplished framer. Karen is a gilder, so she can do gold leaf and silver leaf. She also does great shadow boxes, which she particularly enjoys. They can do some wood finishing, oil paint restoration, hand finish frames or make repairs. They seem to offer a lot of things that other framing shops don’t. Here is one shadow box Karen recently created for a client.
You can tell Karen loves her job and making clients happy. She wakes up in the morning and is happy to go to work. She feels the best part of working at Art Heads is the clientele, helping them with framing their artwork or memories – you create a bond with your client and their stories can break your heart.
During the pandemic, Art Heads saw an increase in customers who were bringing in old pieces that may have been left in the attic or needed some TLC. Karen also shares that since the road project started, she has received more customers because their store visibility has increased. She noticed that when her parking lot was looking busy and she was getting a lot of new customers, so too was Sherwin Williams across the street – many people were working on home projects and she has loved meeting new clients.
Karen has spent time not only working in Lake Oswego but living here. She is excited for the transformation of the road. Her analogy: “it’s like putting a new frame on an old piece, this artwork that has been hanging in your home and you love it, but the frame is dated and maybe chipped. It’s like that with the road, with Boones Ferry Road.” She feels it is going to revitalize the whole area, and she is particularly excited for the new signal and crosswalk at Lanewood Street intersection.
Be sure to stop in and see Karen at Art Heads for all your framing needs!
Art Heads Custom Framing 15630 Boones Ferry Road, Suite #4 503-635-5266 www.art-heads.com
The transformation of Boones Ferry Road continues, with construction approaching the finish line in early fall! While we are now in the final months of construction, there are still several major traffic changes in the works for the project. Read below for more information on what to expect.
Recent Progress
Major work is complete in the area south of Bryant Road. Some miscellaneous plantings, artistic elements, concrete repairs, and activation of the mid-block crossing remain. See some recent photos here.
The Madrona Street signal was activated in late April, along with u-turns being permitted at the Bryant Road signal!
Crews are making fantastic progress building the new raised landscaped medians between Bryant Road and Reese Road. Concrete pours will continue over the next few weeks for portions of the medians. Paving will take place in late June.
Work in the northern area is also taking place, between Reese Road and Red Cedar Way. Crews have been forming and pouring new curbs, sidewalks and stormwater planters on the east side (Vic’s/Bar Method side). Paving will also take place in late June.
More Traffic Changes Coming Up
Lanewood Signal Activation & U-turns!
Crews are making the final preparations and arrangements for activating the new signalized intersection at Lanewood Street and Boones Ferry Road. This will also include activating the new permitted u-turns at this signal and the new crosswalks! This is expected to occur in late June.
Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry Road Intersection
In late June, the intersection of Oakridge /Reese /Boones Ferry Road will be completely reconstructed and paved. Reese Road between Boones Ferry Road and Lake Grove Avenue will also be paved.
To minimize impacts, this work is planned to take place over one weekend beginning Friday night, June 25 and continuing through Sunday night, June 27. Stay tuned for more information on the schedule and work hours.
What to expect:
Reese Road will be closed to through traffic between Boones Ferry Road and Lake Grove Avenue
Oakridge Road at Boones Ferry Road will be right in/right out only
The Oakridge/Reese/Boones Ferry signal will be turned off and flaggers will direct northbound and southbound traffic through the intersection – expect delays
Access will remain open to all businesses in the corridor – use Boones Ferry Road to access business driveways
There will be periods where traffic will be traveling on gravel or rock while they rebuild and grade the roadway – please drive safely
Please plan ahead for extra travel time or find an alternate route during this work.
This work is weather dependent and subject to change. Stay tuned for another update prior to this work.
Northbound Post Office Access Change
Once Oakridge/Reese Road intersection paving is complete, crews will start working on the final medians between Reese Road and Lanewood Street. This will change the northbound access to the Lake Grove Post Office by permanently removing the current left turn access.
Starting in late June, if you are traveling northbound on Boones Ferry Road, instead of turning left into the post office parking lot:
Continue north on Boones Ferry Road,
Make a U-turn at the new Lanewood Street traffic signal,
From southbound Boones Ferry Road, turn right into the parking lot.
The Post Office will keep its current one-way entrance off Boones Ferry Road and one-way exit off Oakridge Road.
The new access replaces a sometimes challenging and potentially hazardous left turn across multiple traffic lanes.
New McDonald’s Signal Activation
After paving is complete and traffic loops are installed, the new signal will be activated. This is expected to occur in early-mid July.
Oakridge/Reese Signal U-turn Activation
As a reminder, all five signals in our project limits will eventually allow controlled u-turn movements. U-turns are expected to be activated at the Oakridge/Reese intersection in early August.
Final Activities
One “final” lift of asphalt will be placed over the entire project area, between Madrona Street and Lanewood Street. This will take place later this summer, followed by final striping.
Landscaping will continue to be installed throughout the project limits through early September, along with other minor punchlist items.
Councilors Tour Project!
In late April, Mayor Buck and Councilors Mboup and Manz had a behind-the-scenes tour of the streetscape and roadway improvements with project team members, Crystal Shum and Katy Kerklaan.
Thanks for visiting the progress and reminding the traveling public that the new Madrona Street signal is now active and u-turns are permitted!
Who’s Who on Boones Ferry Road!
In April we featured Dogtopia, and in May we featured Kumon.
Remember, this raffle runs throughout construction of the Boones Ferry project and each month it starts fresh. Over 30 businesses are participating!
Lake Grove Farmers’ Market Pilot – thanks for stopping by!
Thanks to the many people who stopped by our project information booth at the Farmers’ Market on March 7 and again on April 25. It was great to chat with you, answer your questions, and provide helpful information about the project!
Debbie Siegel, owner of Kumon Lake Grove, started the learning center in 2003 when she wanted to build academic enrichment for her own daughters. Kumon offers preschool through high school tutoring help in both reading and math. Together they try to prepare kids for school, and being self-sufficient in high school.
Kumon as a company has been in operation for 63 years. Active in 50 countries, Kumon is very well-respected overall worldwide.
Because Kumon is an international program, Debbie and her staff see a lot of kids from all over the world. At Kumon Lake Grove, as a staff they speak seven languages, so they are here to serve people from everywhere. Debbie loves that it’s a really fun chance to get to know kids from all over the world and their families.
When the pandemic hit, Debbie switched all services to online. Recently, they started offering in-person two days a week, but they are still offering online options seven days a week. A lot of families have liked the online option, not only because it was safer, but it was also more convenient.
When you ask Debbie about what she loves about owning a business in Lake Grove, she shares that it is having that sense of community and sense of place. She is seeing it be illustrated right now with the project’s little pieces and decorative accents that are going in. In conjunction with the construction, a lot of owners have also done something different to make their businesses more welcoming. Debbie is most looking forward to seeing families and kids coming in from the neighborhoods more, and especially having a new signal at her driveway across from McDonald’s!
To help families and support kids in catching up, Debbie has waived registration fees since the start of the pandemic. Families can enroll at any time and most lessons are one-on-one.
Visit Kumon’s website or call to sign-up for an orientation session!
