May 7, 2008

Commuter rail construction impacts traffic on SW Bonita Rd near 74th Ave

Crews reconstructing crossing May 12-16

Washington County Commuter Rail construction will impact traffic on SW Bonita Rd. near SW 74th Ave. in Tigard starting Monday, May 12. Crews will make pedestrian and vehicle safety improvements to Bonita at the rail crossing. The work will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Friday, May 16.

The work will be done with lane closures on Bonita between SW 72nd and SW 74th avenues. Flaggers will direct traffic through construction and motorists can expect minor delays.

Crews will demolish older sidewalks and create new sidewalks and a median. The new median will be situated between the northbound and southbound tracks.

In June, a new traffic signal system will be installed and when complete, the crossing improvements will provide safer left turn access to and from 74th Ave., as well as enhancements for pedestrian safety.

About the project

Washington County Commuter Rail, which will be known as WES or Westside Express Service, will use existing freight tracks to provide commuter rail service to Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville when it opens in fall 2008. WES is the first commuter rail line in Oregon, and among a handful of suburb-to-suburb commuter lines in the country. When complete it will connect to the Beaverton Transit Center with nearly a dozen bus lines, and MAX Blue and Red lines as well as bus service at each station.