As part of their federal stimulus funded project to install overhead lighting on the I-205 non-motorized corridor, ODOT is planning to close sections of the of the popular biking thoroughfare from October 18th through early-mid January. See the press release below for details and stay tuned to ODOT’s I-205 website for updates:
Portions of I-205 path to temporarily close
Path users can expect detours between Clackamas and Gladstone during construction
As part of a project to install overhead lighting on the I-205 Multi-Use Path, contractor Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. will temporarily close portions of the path between Clackamas and Gladstone beginning next week.
On Monday, Oct. 18, the contractor plans to close the I-205 Multi-Use Path between SE 82nd Drive in Gladstone and SE Strawberry Lane in Clackamas. Upon completion of this segment, the contractor will close the path between SE Strawberry Lane and SE McKinley Avenue in Clackamas. Signs will direct path users to SE 82nd Drive as an alternate route during these closures.
ODOT anticipates that the contractor will complete and re-open these two segments by early mid-January. Subsequently, the contractor will install lighting on a third segment between SE Ambler Road and SE Sunnyside Road in Clackamas. This work will not require a closure of the path, but path users can expect traffic control and some delays.
This work will complete a nearly $4 million project to install overhead lighting on the I-205 Multi-Use Path from SE Foster Road in Portland to SE 82nd Drive in Gladstone — the only portion of the path that lacked lighting.
Last November, ODOT and TriMet celebrated the completion of the first portion of lighting (from Lents to Clackamas Town Center), which has increased visibility, access and safety through several neighborhoods along this major bike and pedestrian path. The project is funded with federal stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Rode this section of trail at night a couple of weeks ago. I had never been south of Town Center before. There were some stretches where our lights barely helped! This is a MUCH needed upgrade. Glad it is getting done.
Springwater Corridor could use some lights. It was alike black hole at night… I nearly ran over a big rat (probably opposum) there last night.
not to be a downer, but three months closing a path to put up lights?
would this ever happen with a highway?
+1 with Tony, why do they need to close the path for 3 months? I know some heavy equipment needs to be used but do they really need to close the trail completely?
I like the springwater at night…
Maybe it is time for me to move to a rural area…
tony (#3) – Probably would never happen with a highway, but this segment of the I-205 path is very lightly used. 82nd Drive isn’t the greatest route, but it’s not a horrible detour. Webster Rd can also be used as a detour for that segment.
The main reason the lighting closures take so long is budgetary / manpower. The work can be done by a very small crew, but to do so, the trenches are open for days / weeks at a time. It could be done faster by a larger crew, but it would cost more – and the contractor needs those people for other, higher-priority jobs. (Stacy & Witbeck is the contractor usually tapped for MAX / Streetcar construction)
We likely won’t see a change in this sort of situation until cycling commands a 20% mode share – we need a large cycling community who is vocal about being inconvenienced, and who has some pull at the state level.
This would be a good issue for the BTA to take up, if they have the time and inclination.
I ran the section from Strawberry lane to SE 82nd at 4:30am this morning, there is plenty of light coming of the lights from the freeway.
In several places the path is between the lights and the freeway.
Tidman Johnson Natural Area has no lights because it is a Natural Area, If you want thousands of watts of public lighting, use the bike lane on Spring Water Blvd, or mount a battery operated illumination device on your handlebars.
It all boils down to sub-par services for residents of east Portland. We don’t have any hip, gentrified neighborhoods out here to pour money into.