Butner Road culvert will include pedestrian improvements

Open House Wednesday, May 13, 5-7 pm, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 12405 SW Butner Road

This project will replace the existing culvert on SW Butner Road, approximately 150 feet east of 126th Avenue, with a concrete box culvert. The existing culvert has significant maintenance issues and is in need of replacement. The Butner Road Culvert Replacement project is funded through the Road Fund. All improvements will be managed by Washington County.

To facilitate construction of the new structure, it is necessary to close Butner Road at the culvert location for approximately 11 weeks. The closure is anticipated to start in approximately mid-July 2020. A signed detour route will be posted directing traffic on roads around the closure.

Bicycles and pedestrians will be accommodated through the work zone at all times. Also included in the project is a mid-block pedestrian crossing of Butner Road at 126th Avenue, with rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB), water quality facilities, and a continuous sidewalk on the north side. Construction is expected to begin in June 2020 with completion in December 2020.

A public Open House will be held to show the project to the community, if the “stay home” order is lifted by that time.

The project was discussed with local community members at a Fall 2017 meeting of the Tualatin Watershed Enhancement Collaborative (TWEC). At this meeting, LUT Operations and Maintenance staff presented project background and details. Generally, the public attendees were supportive of the project. It was at this meeting that the addition of a north-side sidewalk over the culvert was introduced and ultimately added to the project design. At subsequent meetings of the TWEC, project updates were provided to the public. This culvert was one of the problem areas that caused flooding in the area.

Roadside spraying will start soon

Washington County will begin its yearly roadside weed control program around April 20. Roadside spraying is a routine maintenance activity, performed every year to keep vegetation from encroaching onto the roadway and/or to prevent proper stormwater drainage. It is only performed on some roads, listed in the FY 2019-20 Annual Road Maintenance Program document, starting on page 74.

If you know that spraying is scheduled to occur in your adjacent Right of Way, and you prefer to handle it yourself, you can file a “No-Spray Agreement” that obligates you to prevent encroachment of weeds into the roadway and/or to clog the drainage system. Signs are available to purchase to post on your property, but since time is short, you should check with LUT by emailing roadpermits@co.washington.or.us