Challenge

Hillsboro is one of the fastest growing communities in Oregon, and to manage growth impacts, a properly functioning multimodal transportation system is necessary to support the city economically, socially, and environmentally.

Cherry Drive was constructed as a cul-de-sac inhibiting access to businesses and services from NE Ray Circle, a residential area. Access to businesses and services along NE Cherry Drive and the Orenco transit station was unsafe and inconvenient. Residents and other visiting pedestrians had to walk or bike nearly half a mile around the neighboring business along busy streets with deficient bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

To improve connectivity in the rapidly growing Orenco neighborhood, the City determined it was necessary to extend NE Cherry Drive to NW Ray Circle, which would allow for residents to more safely access local businesses and bus and rail transit stations.

Solution

Kittelson was part of the project team working with the City to extend Cherry Drive and improve connectivity and road safety in Hillsboro. Enhancing the pedestrian and roadway required innovative design solutions to avoid utility conflicts, ensure environmental protections, and minimize impacts to residents, businesses, and Orenco Creek (located in the middle of the project site) during construction. The following elements were integral to the project’s completion within an accelerated timeframe:

• Sustainable Practices. Our team worked to ensure that Orenco Creek was not disturbed or contaminated, and we employed sustainable practices, such as using recycled materials, to minimize waste.
• Community Relations. We notified residents and businesses of construction activities early and often.
• Utility Coordination. Understanding where the sewer pipelines are located was critical to selecting the proper culvert size to span both the creek and the sewer pipes without impacting the creek.