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In this email:
Last night, crews safely removed the temporary pedestrian bridge over OR 217, which required a closure of the highway in both directions. All lanes on the highway are open this morning as of 6:15 a.m. Thank you for your patience during the closure.
 Crews removing the temporary pedestrian bridge over OR 217 last night.
The temporary bridge provided critical pedestrian and bike access across the highway. It also became a popular spot to watch the new overpass take shape. Its safe removal marks a meaningful milestone and brings us another step closer to reopening the new Hall Boulevard overpass to vehicles in August.
  People using the temporary pedestrian bridge to cross over OR 217 in the past year. It is now removed and pedestrian access restored on the nearly-complete Hall Boulevard overpass.
People walking, cycling, and rolling can now use one of the sidewalks on the nearly-complete Hall Boulevard overpass to cross OR 217.
The overpass is still expected to reopen to vehicles in August. We will send notice once lanes are available for use. After Hall Boulevard overpass reopens, there will be intermittent lane closures for some remaining work but the overpass will remain open.
The final two weekend directional closures to complete paving on OR 217 north from OR 99W to Scholls Ferry Road are currently scheduled for August 8-11 and August 15-18. Similar to the weekend paving work on southbound OR 217 in June, these closures will start on Friday night at 9 p.m. and reopen by 5 a.m. the following Monday.
We'll share more information soon. Paving is dependent on weather and equipment availability, which means details may change suddenly. Please check the project website and your inbox regularly for the most up-to-date information.
What is this project?
The OR 217 Auxiliary Lanes Project will construct auxiliary lanes in both directions of OR 217 between Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and OR 99W. Auxiliary lanes are ramp-to-ramp connections on the highway that help reduce congestion by giving drivers more space and time to merge safely. This decreases conflicts, improves safety and the flow of traffic, and ultimately allows the existing lanes to work more efficiently. We expect up to 73,000 hours of travel time saved each year with these improvements.
We aren't just making improvements to the highway itself. We also need to make the area surrounding OR 217 safer for all users. In partnership with the City of Beaverton and Washington County, we are making targeted improvements to local bicycle and pedestrian routes.
Learn more about this project and stay up-to-date with current traffic impacts by visiting the project website.
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