TRAFFIC ALERT: This week expect single lane closures and lane shifts on S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale. Crews are working on curb ramp and sidewalk upgrades as well as lighting replacement along the corridor. Single lane closures will be near S.W. Sturges Drive and S.W. 13th Place. Signage and traffic control devices will be set up to direct traffic around the work zone. Lane shifts will be on S.W. 257th Avenue between S.W. Hensley Road and S.E. Stark Street. Signage and traffic control devices will also be set up to direct traffic around those work zones.
Construction for this project is expected to last through the end of 2025. Work will be at various locations along S.W. 257th Avenue. Traffic impacts will vary weekly based on where crews are working in the roadway and the space needed to complete the work. To sign up for construction updates and traffic impacts, visit: multco.us/257th.
Background
This work is part of Multnomah County Transportation’s S.W. 257th Avenue Safety Improvements Project. The $8 million project will include repaving S.W. 257th Avenue between S.W. Cherry Park Road/S.W. Sturges Drive and S.E. Stark Street. Multnomah County will also be installing new lighting, improving accessibility at existing signalized intersections, constructing new curb ramps and removing barriers on sidewalks throughout the corridor.
S.W. 257th is one of the most heavily traveled Multnomah County roads in Troutdale, serving as a critical connection to I-84 and U.S. 26. Currently, it’s difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the corridor. The sidewalks are partially blocked by utility poles and vegetation. Bike lanes are narrow and have little protection from traffic. There isn’t easy access to transit as well.
The safety improvements being added on S.W. 257th are based largely off of community input. In fall 2022, the project asked the community for feedback on issues people face navigating the S.W. 257th corridor. The project got that feedback through walking tours of the site with those who live and work near the corridor, a survey with more than 200 responses as well as tabling events at a Reynolds High School football game and a Gresham Farmers Market. The project also worked with non-English speaking communities to get their feedback.
The top concerns we heard from the community were related to speed and the safety of intersections and crosswalks. Many felt there are too few places to safely cross the street and that it was not comfortable to walk or ride a bike on S.W. 257th Avenue.
In January 2023, the project team then asked the community to prioritize safety improvements they’d like to see along the corridor based on the community input the County received in the fall. This project is adding safety improvements based on all of the community feedback.
Multnomah County maintains 269 miles of roads, including S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale. For more information, visit: http://multco.us/roads.