After years of grumbling about the state of Highway 99E — and more than 400 responses to a paving and improvement survey about the thoroughfare last fall — the Oregon Department of Transportation has good news for Canby residents: “We heard you.”
“Thank you for your feedback last fall regarding safety on 99E in Canby,” ODOT said in a communication to area residents this week.
“More than 400 people provided comments, and we reviewed them all to consider how we could better meet the community’s needs. There was strong support for new pavement and pedestrian safety, and people raised many helpful questions.”
Using, in part, the input from last year’s survey, the state agency has begun the design phase of the planned $9 million project to repave and reconstruct sections of OR 99E between South Pine Street and Southwest Berg Parkway.
The project will add safety features with drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, transit users and those using mobility devices — such as a wheelchair — in mind. New features such as audible pedestrian push buttons and a segment of new bike lanes were specifically requested by community members, ODOT says.
Construction is planned to begin in 2022.
The project will repave the highway for the entire length of the project and improve the traffic signals with new detectors and crosswalks at Elm, Grant and Ivy streets.
Several short sections of sidewalk will also be rebuilt along the corridor, including the south side of 99E between La Conasuper Market and Rite Aid. Striping and lane widths will be updated along the highway to encourage slower, safer speeds, ODOT says.
New bike lanes will be installed on both sides of the highway between Berg and South Elm, and sidewalk curb ramps will be built at all intersections to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Unused railroad tracks will be removed, as will the still-in-use lines that cross 99E diagonally near South Pine to eliminate a hazard for people crossing the tracks.
Finally, ODOT says it will partner with Canby Area Transit on other improvements to increase safety and access for transit users as bus shelters are added in the area.
For more information on the project, visit bit.ly/canbypaving.