Saltzman Road improvement plan gears up

Washington County engineers say construction could begin in spring 2009

By Ray Pitz

The Beaverton Valley Times, Jul 26, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

ADVERTISEMENTS

Washington County is in the planning stages to begin an extensive road improvement project on Saltzman Road between Northwest Cornell and Thompson roads.

Preliminary engineering for the project has begun with construction set to begin in spring of 2009. Plans are to create a three-lane roadway (one lane in each direction along with a continuous center lane) for the estimated two-mile project.

On Thursday, Washington County Land Use and Transportation staff held an open house at Christ United Methodist Church in Cedar Mill to explain the $11.5 million project.

Included with the roadway expansion are 6-foot-wide bike lanes on each side of Saltzman along with 5-foot-wide sidewalks. Currently, sidewalks along the entire length of the project are sporadic.

Completed construction for the first phase is scheduled for fall 2010.

“It’s a pretty lengthy process,” said Matthew Costigan, a Washington County engineering project manager. “I would anticipate two construction seasons.”

For the most part, alignment along the arterial roadway would remain unchanged, said Costigan. Right of way acquisition has yet to be determined.

“As we get into the design, impacts to property will start to be identified,” said Costigan.

Funding for the first phase is available with Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program money, which will mean roadway improvements completed along Saltzman from Cornell Road to Bauer Woods Drive South.

The second phase, which would continue to Thompson Road, has yet to be funded. However, phase one funding also pays for 30 percent of the engineering costs of phase two, officials said.

The county is looking for residents to join a Saltzman Road project focus group where participants will represent the community, listen to technical information and receive public comments. Officials anticipate five to six total meetings lasting about two hours each. The first meeting will begin in September.

1 | 2 Next Page >>