A Avenue and 5th Street Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

Project Need and Background

The goal of this project is to enhance the safety conditions of the crosswalk located at the intersection of A Avenue and 5th Street. The existing crosswalk features a pedestrian-activated overhead beacon located on the east side of the intersection for individuals crossing A Avenue. The project aims to address and improve the overall safety and functionality of this important pedestrian crossing point in the downtown area of Lake Oswego.

The current crossing has a number of common safety concerns:

Visibility issues with the existing flashing beacons
Obscured sightlines
Non-compliant Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps and push buttons.

Project Scope

To address these issues, the project scope includes the following improvements:

Clearer signage: replacing the existing flashing beacon with a new highly visible rectangular rapid flashing beacon to alert drivers and pedestrians to the presence of the crossing.
Crosswalk painting: installing highly visible crosswalk striping, making it easier to identify for all road users.
Trimming vegetation: to improve sightlines for both pedestrians and drivers. This could potentially include some tree removal.
ADA enhancements: to improve signal equipment, pedestrian push buttons, and three curb ramps at (NW, NE, SE).

Schedule

Design: late 2023 – summer 2024
Construction: fall 2024 - early 2025

Project Updates

January 16, 2024

Work is now complete on the crossing improvements and the crossing is now active! Thanks for your patience while we made these important improvements.

December 19, 2024

The pedestrian crossing has been reactivated temporarily using the old system parts. There has been an extended delay in receiving all the materials for the new system. Once all the parts arrive, the new flashing beacons, signs, wiring, controller and buttons will be updated and activated.

December 3, 2024

Anticipated Activities taking place this month:

Tree Removal
Sign and Post installation
Final asphalt paving
New Audible Pedestrian Buttons
New Flashing Beacons
Project Clean up
Tree protection fence removal

The pedestrian crossing remains closed until all work is complete. Due to the holidays and scheduling conflicts, work is expected to be complete in January.

November 2024

Sidewalks are closed for sawcutting, demolition and new ADA compliant concrete ramps have been poured at all three corners of 5th Street and A Avenue. The crossing at 5th Street and A Avenue remains closed across A Avenue. Please use the detour at 4th Street to cross A Avenue.

October 2024

A contractor has been hired and construction is expected to start in late October and continue through December.

During construction, the traveling public should expect some lane reductions and traffic shifts on A Avenue near 5th Street to accommodate the work. The crosswalk will be closed and pedestrians will need to detour to the 4th Street/A Avenue crossing. There may also be some temporary parking restrictions in place near the crosswalk.

September 2024

The project is currently out to bid for contractors.

Construction is expected to start in October and continue through December. More information will be provided once a contractor is selected.

July 2024

Designs are being finalized and we expect to go out to bid in late July or early August. Construction is expected to take place in late summer through early fall.

More information to come once a contractor is hired.

December 4, 2023

In early December, crews will be conducting surveys and marking utilities in the right-of-way near the pedestrian crossing. This is part of early preliminary design work.