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Two new roads in Washington County

Started by sp_redelectric, August 18, 2017, 01:13:25 AM

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sp_redelectric

Something we don't hear too much of in the Portland Metro area, but (the first phase) of a new road has now opened for those travelling between Wilsonville and Sherwood - Basalt Creek Parkway.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/News/basalt-creek-opens.cfm

Right now the portion from Tonquin Road east to Grahams Ferry Road is open as a two lane road, with a new overpass (which is wide enough to accomodate four lanes) over the Portland & Western Railroad.  Tonquin Road just to the north is temporarily closed for a sewer pipeline project but will reopen as a local access road.  Eventually Basalt Creek Parkway will continue north to Tualatin-Sherwood Road and connect with 124th Avenue north to Highway 99W in west Tualatin.  Ultimately, Basalt Creek is intended to be extended east over Boones Ferry Road to a new interchange with I-5.

Meanwhile on the other side of Washington County, David Hill Road at the northern reach of Forest Grove is now open, providing a new access route west of Highway 47, and with this is a new roundabout on Highway 47 just north of David Hill at Verboort and Purdin Roads.  The roundabout replaces a stop sign at an intersection where two young women were killed a few years ago.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/TransportationProjects/david-hill-verboort-purdin-or47-projects.cfm


sparker

Quote from: sp_redelectric on August 18, 2017, 01:13:25 AM
Something we don't hear too much of in the Portland Metro area, but (the first phase) of a new road has now opened for those travelling between Wilsonville and Sherwood - Basalt Creek Parkway.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/News/basalt-creek-opens.cfm

Right now the portion from Tonquin Road east to Grahams Ferry Road is open as a two lane road, with a new overpass (which is wide enough to accomodate four lanes) over the Portland & Western Railroad.  Tonquin Road just to the north is temporarily closed for a sewer pipeline project but will reopen as a local access road.  Eventually Basalt Creek Parkway will continue north to Tualatin-Sherwood Road and connect with 124th Avenue north to Highway 99W in west Tualatin.  Ultimately, Basalt Creek is intended to be extended east over Boones Ferry Road to a new interchange with I-5.

Meanwhile on the other side of Washington County, David Hill Road at the northern reach of Forest Grove is now open, providing a new access route west of Highway 47, and with this is a new roundabout on Highway 47 just north of David Hill at Verboort and Purdin Roads.  The roundabout replaces a stop sign at an intersection where two young women were killed a few years ago.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/TransportationProjects/david-hill-verboort-purdin-or47-projects.cfm

From the info given on the websites, as well as contained within the maps provided, this project seems to be more or less an attempt to "channel" traffic from the 99W corridor (Sherwood & environs) down to Wilsonville on a newer roadway with better alignment and lines of sight -- i.e., more for the sake of driving safety than capacity increase; the combined 124th/Basalt Creek alignment looks to be somewhat longer than the direct Tonquin Road routing.  But this is in keeping with Metro priorities -- actual road capacity increases are not encouraged; while making the roads a bit more safe for drivers (elimination of the PWRR grade crossing is a major step in itself) seems to be the principal driving force behind this -- and likely others in the region -- improvement.  Nevertheless, it's an indication that the driving public is at least given some consideration within regional policy circles. 



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