Transportation and Development

Clackamas County is not proposing tolling, but rather is responding to tolling programs proposed by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment

• Op-Ed from Board of Commissioners and Mayors, Pamplin Newspapers, May 23, 2023
• Letter from County Commission to Governor Kotek, Senate President Wagner, and House Speaker Rayfield, May 11, 2023
• News release: Clackamas County commissioners grateful for governor, legislator leadership to pause tolling, May 4, 202
• News release: Decreased safety on local roads leads Clackamas County concerns with I-205 Toll Project, April 24, 2023
• Letter from Business Community, April 19, 2023
• Board of Commissioners Policy Session, I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment Findings Technical Letter, April 19, 2023
• Board of Commissioners Policy Session, I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment, April 12, 2023
• Letter from Clackamas County Coordinating Committee (C4) – April 10, 2023
• Second letter requesting extension of the EA review timeline – March 14, 2023
  • ODOT response to timeline extension request
• Board of Commissioners Policy Session: I-205 Toll Project Update from Oregon Department of Transportation - March 8, 2023
• Notice: ODOT seeking public input on tolling – March 1, 2023
• Letter requesting extension of the EA review timeline – March 1, 2023
• Board of Commissioners Policy Session: I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment Update - March 1, 2023

EA Response Letters

• Business organizations
• City of Canby
• City of Happy Valley
• City of Lake Oswego
• City of Oregon City
  • Letter
  • Attachment
• City of Tualatin
• City of West Linn
  • Letter
  • Attachment 1
  • Attachment 2
• City of Wilsonville
• Clackamas County Comments on I-205 EA, April 19, 2023
• Metro
  • Letter
  • Attachment
• Redland/Viola/Fischers Mill Community Planning Organization (CPO)
• Stafford Hamlet
• TriMet

Background

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is proposing two projects to toll highways in Clackamas County and the Portland metropolitan region:

• The I-205 Toll Project would toll the Abernethy and Tualatin River bridges in Clackamas County to fund construction of a third lane and seismic improvements to bridges on I-205 from Stafford Road to OR 213. ODOT intends to implement variable-rate pricing that fluctuates throughout the day. Earliest tolling was planned to begin: 2024*.
• The Regional Mobility Pricing Project (RMPP) is evaluating congestion pricing, using variable-rate tolls, for the entire I-5 and I-205 corridor in the Portland metropolitan area. ODOT intends this tolling to raise revenue and address congestion. Earliest tolling was planned to begin: 2025*.

*Note: On May 1, 2023, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced she will delay all toll collection until Jan. 1. 2026. In a May 4 letter to legislators, she said the delay is to receive more information on Oregon Department of Transportation's "plans to mitigate diversion and address equity concerns" and set Dec. 15, 2023 as the report submission deadline.

Clackamas County has been involved in reviewing and commenting on these projects, and their potential impact on county residents and businesses for many years. County commissioners and staff sit on state and regional advisory committees, attend public meetings, testify and submit written comments on legislative proposals, and participate in meetings with staff from ODOT and our regional partners, including cities and neighboring counties. In addition, there have been numerous discussions about the proposed programs at Board of Commissioners meetings that are open to the public.

Below are links to a variety of documents and meetings that reflect the county’s involvement with and concerns about the proposed tolling programs.

General Documents

• Addressing the Missing Third Lane: I-205 Improvements Project Phase 2, Feb. 6, 2024
• Joint Values on the Proposed Regional Congestion Pricing and Toll Projects within the Portland Metro Region, Dec. 5, 2023
• The 2023 State Legislature Must Take Action on the I-205 Toll Project, letter from local governments, April 5, 2023
• Clackamas County Staff Comments on I-205 Tolling Project Transportation Technical Report – Sept. 15, 2022
• Specific proposed language changes to the Oregon Highway Plan Policy Language – Sept. 12, 2022
• Clackamas County Perspective on ODOT’s I-205 Toll Project – April 13, 2022
• I-205 Toll Project Regional Transportation Plan Amendment – Staff Comments – Nov. 15, 2021
• I-205 NEPA Alternatives Comment Period – Sept. 15, 2021
• Clackamas County Values on Proposed Transportation Funding Solutions for the Interstate System in the Portland Metropolitan Area – April 15, 2021
• Portland Metro Area Value Pricing Feasibility Analysis – July 10, 2018

Board of Commissioners Meetings

Legislative Advocacy

Tolling and the I-205 Improvements Project have been part of the county’s state and federal legislative agendas since 2016.  Legislative agendas, annual reports and historical background

The county also works closely with other jurisdictions and with the business community to share perspectives with legislators on the topic, as shown in joint letters below.

• Letter from state legislators representing Clackamas County to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation – March 2, 2022
• Letter from state legislators representing Clackamas County to the Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission – Feb. 4, 2022
• Letter from Clackamas County, Washington County, state and regional transportation organizations, cities and businesses to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation – June 16, 2021
• Letter from Clackamas County Board Chair on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, to co-chairs of Oregon Legislature Joint Committee on Transportation – May 11, 2021
• Letter to state legislature from Clackamas County, cities in Clackamas County and business organizations – Feb. 25, 2020
• Letter from state legislators representing Clackamas County to leadership of the Oregon House of Representatives – Feb. 18, 2020

The 5-year pavement management plan

The following roads are scheduled for resurfacing in the next five years. There are many variables that go into planning treatments to extend the life of the roads based on the rate at which they deteriorate, so projects and their order may change, or specific roads may be removed or added. Road construction contractors are hired to complete these projects through a competitive bid process. 

Choosing roads for resurfacing

While it might seem like it makes sense to pave the worst roads first, totally reconstructing a road can be up to ten times more expensive than planning for resurfacing treatments to extend the life of a road. Our pavement management plan will help to reduce the number of roads that reach the level of reconstruction, which means we can improve the quality of more roads each year.

First, we determine the condition of our 1,400 miles of roadway. Every year, we rate the condition of 50% of main roads and 25% of local roads using technology that inspects the surface condition as well as tests that provide data on the road structure that is not visible. We use software to predict the deterioration rate of pavement with a score between 0 and 100 to determine which roads would be best to repair. Using this information, we are able to plan resurfacing projects within the limits of our annual budget.

Our county goal is to maintain a pavement condition index at 70 or higher.

To reach this goal, we use surface treatments like chip seal and slurry seal to extend the life of roads and repave roads before total reconstruction is needed.

• Chip seal
  To extend the life of main roads in good condition, a chip seal is applied about 10 years after paving to seal any small cracks that may be forming and restore a flexible surface to the roadway. This may be done two or three times to stop water from seeping through the surface and damaging the pavement and road base. A chip seal adds about 7-10 years to the life of asphalt.
• Slurry seal
  To extend the life of local roads in good condition, a slurry seal is applied to improve traction, repel water from the surface and to slow deterioration. This may be done two or three times to stop water from seeping through the surface and damaging the pavement and road base. A slurry seal adds about 5-7 years to the life of asphalt.
• Paving
  When a road has significant cracking, or is failing due to issues under the surface, then we need to repave sections of road. Paving adds structure to the road and fixes distressed areas. Part of paving work includes improving drainage along the roadway, improving rock or paved shoulders and restriping the road. A repaved road has a life expectancy of 15-20 years with regularly scheduled maintenance and 20-30 years with regularly scheduled surface treatments.

Our team monitors this data every year and makes adjustments as necessary to preserve the life our roads while using our limited resources wisely.

Project Funding 

Road resurfacing is paid for by the County Road Fund and state gas taxes (HB2017), and the Community Road Fund. The Community Road Fund pays for projects on select local roads that would not be possible without this local source of funding.

Related Webpages

• Summer paving schedule
• Road restoration
• Transportation construction projects
• 5-year capital improvement project list  
• Report a road concern

 Why

To construct a package of multimodal projects to meet transportation needs in the Clackamas Regional Center through the year 2040. Traffic congestion in this area presented major challenges affecting safety, multimodal access, and economic development. The completed project:

• Provides a safe and efficient transportation system
• Addresses needs of residents, businesses, and the public
• Balances different modes of transportation: motor vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and freight

Schedule

Major components of the project are complete. The public can expect to see minor work occurring in early 2022, but only minor traffic disruptions are anticipated.

Improvements include

• Harmony Road between 80th Avenue and Fuller Road, including the pedestrian crossing at Clackamas Community College.
• Sunnyside Road between SE 82nd Avenue and SE Stevens Road, including improvements to the I-205 Overcrossing and Interchange.
• SE 80th Avenue between Harmony Road and Southgate Street.
• SE 93rd Avenue and SE 97th Avenue Intersections with Sunnybrook Boulevard.
• SE 82nd Avenue, including upgrades at Sunnyside Road and Sunnybrook Road

Improved travel options

Local residents benefit from new and improved opportunities to walk, bike, and take transit with better connections to the Town Center Max station and I-205 bike path. New lighting and landscaping enhance safety and aesthetics, especially along SE Sunnyside Road between the Clackamas Town Center and Clackamas Promenade.

Employees and employers at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, Sunnyside 205, One Town Center, Clackamas Town Center, Clackamas promenade, and business along SE 82nd Avenue in the project area have improved access to work whether driving, walking, biking or taking transit.

Transportation improvements that link transit, walking and biking in the area serve youth and students at Clackamas Community College Harmony Campus, Clackamas Middle College and La Salle Catholic College Preparatory, and visitors to the North Clackamas Aquatic Park.

Shoppers benefit from removal of the slop lane into the Clackamas Town Center to alleviate congestion in the parking lot. Restriped travel lanes, modified traffic signal timing, and new signage will help shoppers get to and from their destinations smoothly and safely.

Improved traffic operations at several intersections help commuters and freight traffic traveling to and through the Clackamas Regional Center, including SE Sunnyside Road at 82nd Avenue, SE Sunnyside Road at SE Stevens Road, and I-205 on-and off ramps.

Improvements by location

Fuller Road:

• A new crosswalk at the intersection of Fuller Road and Southgate Street

Harmony Road:

• A new crosswalk and center refuge island at Clackamas Community College – Harmony Campus
• Widened the sidewalk and new  landscape strip on the north side of Harmony Rd between Clackamas Community College – Harmony Campus and 80th Avenue

80th Avenue:

• Widened and repaved 80th Avenue from Harmony Road to Southgate Street

84th Avenue:

• New stormwater quality and detention swale on the west side of 84th Avenue

Sunnyside Road:

• New and reconstructed sidewalks and bike lanes on Sunnyside Road from 82nd Avenue to Stevens Road
• Reduced travel lanes from four to three on eastbound Sunnyside Road between 84th Avenue and the 9000 block to accommodate sidewalks, bike lanes, and median landscaping
• Removed overgrown vegetation and added landscaping on north side of Sunnyside Road between the 8600 and 9000 blocks
• Lengthened the westbound left-turn lane at 82nd Avenue to add capacity for vehicles turning left onto southbound 82nd Avenue
• Improved traffic signals at the 8600 block, 9000 block, SE 93rd Avenue, I-205 overcrossing, and Stevens Road
• Removed the slip lane from the southbound I-205 off-ramp into the Clackamas Town Center and added a sidewalk and bike lane; added pedestrian signal

Sunnybrook Boulevard:

• Modified lane striping and traffic signal phasing at the intersection of Sunnybrook Blvd and 93rd Avenue
• Restriped eastbound lanes between the I-205 northbound off-ramp and 97th Avenue to provide a right turn lane, bike lane and two through travel lanes

SE Stevens Road:

• Extended bike lanes on the north side of Stevens Road to Sunnyside Road
• Restriped westbound Sunnyside Road for a dedicated right-turn lane onto northbound Stevens Road
• Restriped the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center driveway exit to provide two left-turn lanes onto westbound Sunnyside Road

I-205 Bridge and Interchange:

• Widened the bridge to add a 10-foot wide combined sidewalk and cycle track on each side
• Installed new bridge railing and LED lights
• Added a second right turn lane from the northbound I-205 off-ramp to eastbound Sunnyside Road
• Added a third entrance lane onto the northbound I-205 on-ramp from Sunnyside Road

Funding

Funding was provided from the Clackamas Town Center Urban Renewal District. The total cost of the project is $23.795 million.