A $4 million Oregon Department of Transportation project that will improve bicycle access between Kenton, the Columbia Slough path, Portland International Raceway and other destinations is set to begin on Tuesday April 14th.
The work will take place on a one-mile section of N Denver Ave between Victory Blvd and Argyle St (OR-99W in this location). ODOT says they first identified the need for this project back in 2006 when a study found, “poor sight lines for drivers, deficient turning movements, gaps in the bike and pedestrian paths and poor conditions of Denver Avenue bridge decks and railings.”
As we shared last July, the three big changes you’ll notice if you ride a bicycle in this area are a major re-alignment of Schmeer Road where it connects to the Columbia Slough path, new bike lanes on the Denver Ave bridge over Columbia Blvd., and a new path adjacent to PIR from Victory Blvd to Argyle St (at the north end of downtown Kenton).
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Here’s a more detailed rundown of the changes via ODOT:
• Realign the N. Schmeer Road and N. Denver Avenue intersection and install a traffic signal
• Realign the southbound ramp from N. Victory Boulevard to N. Denver Avenue and add a stop sign
• Make the one-way undercrossing from N. Denver Avenue to N. Schmeer Road into a two-way
shared-use path
• Add a two-way shared-use path between N. Victory Boulevard and N. Schmeer Road on the west side
of N. Denver Avenue for cyclists and pedestrians
• Resurface the bridge decks and rehabilitate the expansion joints
• Replace the railing and crash barrier on the N. Denver Avenue Viaduct and Columbia Slough Bridge
As someone who rides around here quite a bit between racing and attending events at PIR and enjoying the family-friendly paths in the area, I can’t wait for these changes to happen!
Construction is expected to be completed by fall of 2015. For more information, check out the official project page at Oregon.gov.