January 15 open house for 170th Avenue and Merlo Road conceptual design

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Overview:

Washington County's Department of Land Use &Transportation (LUT) will host its second 170th Avenue and Merlo Road conceptual design open house on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at the Beaverton School District offices at 16550 SW Merlo Road in Beaverton. The public is invited to drop in anytime between 6 and 8 p.m.

The project team, consisting of LUT staff and design consultants, will share a draft conceptual design for future improvements to SW 170th Avenue between Baseline Road and Tualatin Valley Highway and to SW Merlo Road between Jenkins Road and 170th Avenue. The draft conceptual design features sidewalks and protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, new pedestrian crossings, potential bus stops in anticipation of future transit service, and a roundabout at the intersection of 170th Avenue and Merlo Road. Project team members will be available to answer questions and solicit feedback on the conceptual design.

More information about the project and drawings of the draft conceptual design are available at www.co.washington.or.us/170merlo, or interested parties can contact LUT's Long Range Planning section at [email protected] or 503-846-3519. To receive periodic email updates about the 170th Avenue and Merlo Road conceptual design planning effort, subscribe here.

Additional information:

Washington County is developing a conceptual design for future improvements to SW 170th Avenue between Baseline Road and Tualatin Valley Highway, and Merlo Road between Jenkins Road and 170th Avenue. Sidewalks, bike lanes and pedestrian crossings are needed in the corridor. Portions of these roads are planned to be widened to four vehicle lanes to accommodate increasing traffic and a future bus route.

Conceptual design is an early exploratory stage in which general features of the roadway design are considered and discussed with the public. At the first project open house on November 5, 2014, community members expressed support for enhanced sidewalks and bike lanes, more pedestrian crossings, and addressing traffic congestion and safety. Feedback also indicated a concern about potential impacts to residential properties on the west side of 170th Avenue and the Tualatin Hills Nature Park on the east side. Based on that feedback, the project team has prepared the draft conceptual design that will be featured at the January 15, 2015 open house.

Following this second open house, further refinements will be included in the final conceptual design. At this time, funding to construct future improvements to 170th Avenue and Merlo Road has not been identified. When the conceptual design is finalized, the project will then become a candidate for future funding and construction. More detailed construction plans based on the conceptual design would be prepared when construction funding is available.

Washington County is committed to planning and protecting the uses of the land and to building and maintaining a great transportation system—balancing care for the natural environment, economic development, safety and communitylivability.

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