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NW Cornelius Pass Road will close to through traffic between Highway 30 and NW Old Cornelius Pass Road in Washington County at 3 am on Monday, July 22. Morning commuters should plan to use detour routes listed below. The closure will allow contractor Wildish Standard Paving to construct safety improvements on Multnomah County’s five-mile section of the road. The road is scheduled to reopen in late September.
This steep, winding and narrow section of NW Cornelius Pass Road has a long history of crashes. The project will reduce some of the rural road’s sharp curves, increase sight distance for drivers, improve road shoulders, and install caution signs, guardrails and barriers.
When the road is closed to through traffic, access will be maintained for local residents and emergency services. The contractor will set up hard closures on NW Cornelius Pass Road at NW Old Cornelius Pass Road (in Washington County) and just north of NW 8th Ave. (between Highway 30 and NW Skyline).
Alternate routes for through traffic are:
• Cars and Pickup Trucks: From Highway 30 take NW Newberry Road, NW Skyline Blvd. and NW Old Cornelius Pass Road to Washington County. A temporary traffic signal at NW Newberry Road will allow traffic to safely turn left onto Highway 30. Stop signs will be relocated along the detour route to create a free-flowing route.
• Trucks: From Highway 30 take I-405 south to Highway 26 west.
• Trucks Carrying Hazardous Loads: These trucks cannot use the Highway 26 tunnel in Portland. The detour is longer, taking I-5 south to Highway 217 north to Highway 26 west.
Road users are encouraged to:
• Allow more time for their trip, due to expected congestion on detour routes.
• Be alert for other road users, including cyclists, on alternate routes in the west hills. These rural roads are narrow, steep and winding with limited sight distance.
• Avoid NW Logie Trail Road, which has a steep section that is too narrow for two vehicles to pass.
• Consider car pooling. Find a ride at www.drivelessconnect.com.
The Oregon Legislature provided funds for the $5.65 million project. Funds are being spent at four key locations where crashes occur, as well as on corridor-wide improvements.