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In this email:
After many months of dedicated work, we are pleased to share that the new sidewalk and bicycle lanes are open on the Hall Boulevard overpass in Beaverton. (See the section below for an update on the Hall Boulevard overpass in Tigard).
We completed this phase of work and opened up lanes in advance of the holiday season in order to accommodate increased holiday traffic.
Although the majority of the construction on the overpass is complete, you can expect to see some continuing activity and short-term single lane and sidewalk closures in 2025 for finishing touches on ADA ramps and signal poles as well as final paving and lane striping when weather conditions dry out in spring and summer.
 Before and after conditions of the new sidewalk on the north side of the Hall Boulevard overpass in Beaverton.
In partnership with the City of Beaverton, we widened the overpass by 19 feet, creating space for a new sidewalk on the north side of the overpass and bike lanes on both sides. These much-needed upgrades provide new connections for cyclists, pedestrians, and travelers on Hall Boulevard between Scholls Ferry Road and Cascade Avenue.
We appreciate your patience throughout the extended lane closures that allowed crews the necessary space to expand the overpass. Work included demolishing the old guardrail, building the new support foundations for the extension, setting eight 150-long concrete beams, and constructing the new sidewalk and expanded roadway.
 Progress photos of the new sidewalk under construction last year.
The new Hall Boulevard overpass was nearing the final phase when the team encountered a construction issue which is resulting in the bridge construction taking longer than we originally estimated. We expected the overpass to open early this year, but now we know it will be later. A new date will be shared once it is established. This should not impact the overall completion of the project by the end of 2025.
In the meantime, the temporary pedestrian bridge and signed detour will both remain in place to support local travel.
We know this closure impacts travelers and neighbors near the overpass, and we appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue.
In November, crews reopened all lanes on the Scholls Ferry Road overpass. The left turn from Scholls Ferry Road to the southbound OR 217 on-ramp is also restored. Over the course of the last several months, crews upgraded the safety railing and fencing to meet current standards and installed a structural concrete overlay to preserve and protect the surface of the overpass for a smoother, safer ride.
 Crews upgrading the safety railing on the Scholls Ferry overpass.
Other activities in 2025 include final paving and lane striping. You may have noticed that some sections of the auxiliary lanes seem like they should be ready for use but are still closed. That’s because they still need a final layer of pavement which will take place in the spring and summer when the weather warms up and allows the materials to cure properly. Once paving and striping is complete, the new auxiliary lanes may still be needed for contractor access and/or worker safety but we're asking the contractor to make them available for use as soon as it is safe to do so.
The project is still on schedule to finish at the end of 2025 and will close out with cleanup work and planting of vegetation in select areas along the highway. It’s been a long road, and the end is coming into view!
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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